In The Docks
by Carmen Delta
Summary: “Do you ever just get sick of it sometimes?” Tuxedo Kamen looked up at her, “sick of what?” After a late night battle, Sailor Moon and Tuxedo Kamen have a superhero D&M, but what could it lead to?
1. Things That Go Bump In The Night

Hello all! How bout this weather eh (well, it's raining where **I** am and I just love it - Sailor Moon episodes spring to mind where ever I am these days! ^^)!

Now at the moment, this is an OS (as originally intended), but I think; depending on reviews, pefrhaps I could stretch it another chapter or two on chain of events following... So R&R and tell me what you think ;)

And of course, a super big bucket of thankies to my fantastic beta **Moosagi** :) Her email of fpraise made me mushier than an Alicia Blade FF (well....they tied! ^^)

Disclaimer: I own everything in the world, under various alias' - in this case; my persona of Naoko Takeuchi has all rights to the characters below. All clear?

ONWARDS!

* * *

The senshif cheered as the monster from the Negaverse was destroyed. All but one, who smiled tiredly at the others before jumping into a nearby leafy tree, fleeing from the scene. Her remaining team looked at each other, puzzled expressions mirrored on each others faces. Sailor Jupiter made to follow, but didn't know which direction her leader had taken.

Sailor Mars just shrugged,

"Come on guys, I'll bet she's just going back to bed. You know how Odango is. I suggest we should all do the same".

As the others quickly agreed and broke off into the directions of their respective homes, Sailor Mars narrowed her eyes at the tree, as if willing it to give her the answers she sought. There was something off lately about Sailor Moon, but she couldn't pinpoint what. If Usagi really had been going home, she would have gone out the south gates of the park, not somewhere to the north eastern direction... How strange. But maybe it was Odango being Odango. Trust her to forget her way home! After one last hard look at the tree, she gave up and headed back home, behind the others.

* * *

Sailor Moon ran. She ran as fast as she could down the dark and empty streets, towards an unknown destination. As her legs protested any further movement, she pumped them still, her determination fuelling her escape; her escape from the familiar surroundings of Juuban, and to find somewhere to just...think.

As she neared the city's docks, she leaped high into the air, again and again and again, pushing off from crates and small sheds until at last she reached the top of the tallest building, the one overlooking the water. Sailor Moon stood for a moment, catching her breath as her chest heaved from the exertion of her run, gazing listlessly ahead before walking over to the edge of the roof and looking down. Her eyes refocused as she bent her knees and --- suddenly she was grabbed roughly by the forearms from behind and a harsh voice demanded in her ear.

"Just what do you think you're doing?!"

Sailor Moon gasped, and was immediately grateful that she hadn't detransformed, because if she was about to get herself into some trouble- she stopped midthought as her mystery attacker spun her around to face...Tuxedo Kamen?! _'What? But how? Why? Wha-' _her mind spluttered before she found her voice and cried in surprise

"Tuxedo Kamen? What are you doing? Let go of me!" But his ocean blue eyes just continued to bore angrily into hers as he demanded, "Were you just about to jump?"

Sailor Moon's eyes unfastened themselves from his gorgeous ones to shout in shocked anger,

"What?! Nooo! Why in the love of the moon would I do that?"

His eyes searched hers carefully, but after only finding total sincerity, he replied, "You...You _weren't _just about to...you know...jump off that edge? "

Sailor Moon howled in outraged embarrassment –he thought she was suicidal!- and struggled in his grip to free herself.

"I was going to SIT ON THE EDGE you jerk! How could you think I'd...I'd...Aaaaargh!"

His expression softened slightly as he let go of her and said slowly, "And _why_ would you want to be up here anyway? Shouldn't you be safely tucked into bed? It's well after midnight you know." Sailor Moon's mind tugged at the familiar taunting tone, yet she couldn't place her finger on _why_ it seemed so familiar.

"Then why are _you_ here? Do you _usually_ follow innocent, young girls in the middle of the night?" Her eyes bugged out of her head as her retort just slipped right out of her mouth. Surely she'd never say anything that rude to anyone...Unless it was to Mamoru-baka...

But to her surprise, he laughed, long and loud and smiled.

"You could say that. But then again, you're not an ordinary innocent, young girl are you? Who would need the protecting out of us two?" Sailor Moon gulped as he loomed closer and closer over to her, but in the blink of an eye, he was gone. Looking around, and then down, she found him perched on the building's edge, right where she'd been about to sit. He gestured beside him and she slowly lowered herself on the ledge next to him.

"So do you want to talk about it?"

Sailor Moon, caught off guard, stared at him openly before turning her hard gaze to her right knee, indecision clearly written on her face. Her mouth opened and closed a few times before she could find her voice.

"What makes you think there's something to talk about?"

His hands motioned around them, "Were you not out here for some quiet, _alone_ time?"

"Well yes, actually, but that doesn't mean that there's something wrong"

"So you're here for the scenery?"

"Yes-I mean no! No!"

"Which is it? Because I've got to say, if you wanted a pretty view, you sure picked the wrong end of Tokyo."

Sailor Moon was starting to get agitated at his know-it-all tone, which again, was familiar.

"Well it's not alone time unless you're _alone_" she pointed out.

He turned to grin at her and she found herself locked to his gaze. '_He has magnificent eyes'_ she thought, _'like a stormy sea'._

"Well, as much as you'd like that, I'm afraid my ethical views prohibit it. Young girls should be tucked up in bed at this time; you never know who might be out there."

Sailor Moon couldn't help but smile at him.

"Like superhero's who dress in dark tuxedos and masks?"

He flashed a wolfy grin back at her. "Exactly."

Sailor Moon looked down at her hands, folded in her lap and sighed. If he persisted in staying, she might as well talk to him about a little part of her problem. Twiddling her thumbs, she thought of a way to bring up what she was thinking without seeming too direct or scaring him off. Finding no subtle way, she decided the direct path would suffice.

"Do you ever just get sick of it sometimes?"

Tuxedo Kamen looked up at her, aware that the joking mood had transitioned into something more serious. Could this be what was troubling the young heroine?

"Sick of what?"

"Everything... Life. Superhero business. School. I take it you're still in school?" When he nodded, she continued, "friends. Don't you ever just get sick of it all?" Tuxedo Kamen chose his next words very wisely.

"Well, sometimes I do. Most of the time, actually. But I know I have a purpose in this world, a destiny...As do you. I hope that one day, I can be something to someone, even if she is a total idiot to care for me. People like you and me, Sailor Moon, are here to protect everyone else. We must have good, and bad, things come our way. I know _I_ believe in karma. But I do know what you mean."

Sailor Moon gave him a funny look.

"Do you want to talk about it now?" He asked again softly. Sailor Moon stared at him for a moment, trying to decipher just how trustworthy he was. He _was_ after the rainbow crystals after all. And he _did_ have his own agenda for wanting them. But he didn't _seem_ evil. And he'd had more than enough chances to kill her if he'd wanted to. But no, he'd always gone out of his way to save her. Always. It was at this moment, that Sailor Moon decided that she trusted him completely; with her life.

"How often does being Tuxedo Kamen interfere with your civilian life?" she asked quietly. Tuxedo Kamen froze. So this is where it was headed? Superhero life? He thought to how he never had to explain to anyone, save Motoki once or twice, about where or how he got his scars. He thought about how he never had to worry that a loved one would be killed or get caught in a cross fire with the enemy, because he had none. He thought about how his flexible class hours, how being a senior, meant he could gallivant off into a fight and be back before the bell went. He thought about how no one would ever notice if he didn't come home one night, or disappeared for hours at a time. Before he'd been thankful for these kinds of situations, but now, reflecting back on them, he just felt hollow. Realising that Sailor Moon sat next to him waiting for his answer, he put on a blasé voice and replied

"Ah, not that much to be honest, why do you ask?

But Sailor Moon could only gape at him. _'Not that much?'_ she internally echoed. _'Not that much?!' _Recovering, she pressed on, eager to discover how to create such a life.

"Not that much? How come?"

"Well, why should it? It's all about learning what to do with the cards you've been handed in life, isn't it? Tell me about life as Sailor Moon then. Is it as glamorous as all your fans think?"

Sailor Moon looked grimly at him before turning to stare out at the still waters before them, a watery moon reflecting up at its real counterpart.

"Far from it. It affects everything I do."

Tuxedo Kamen was surprised to hear that. "Really?"

Sailor Moon nodded, tears springing to her eyes. "What do you want to hear about first? How my late nights make me sleep in, and I get a detention for being tardy? Or how I spend the rest of the class falling asleep because I'm too tired to keep my eyes open? No. No, you want to hear about my failing tests, right? Because that always gives people a kick. Or is it the disappointment I give my family and friends for doing so poorly? I disappoint myself when I disappoint others. It's not right. I hate doing it to them, and myself! But what can I-" Tuxedo Kamen cut her off by placing a soft, gloved hand over her mouth.

"Hey. It can't be that bad. What about your Senshi? How do they do at school?"

Sailor Moon looked down at her lap again, and when she looked up again, her eyes were full of angry tears.

"No one gets it, do they? I'm not like the other Senshi! I'm _different_! _I'm_ their leader! _I'm_ the one with the most responsibility!_ I'm_ the one with the most weight on my shoulders! _I'm_ the one who has to make all the judgments!_ I'm_ the one who has to actually _destroy_ the monster!" Sailor Moon stood up angrily to walk around the roof, her hands gesturing left, right and centre as she gained her stride. "_I'm_ the one who has to spend the most energy at these fights! _I'm_ the one it costs the most! _I'm_ the one who never has her energy levels full, which makes _me_ extra clumsy, which gets _me_ yelled at, which-" she angrily grabbed at the gloved hand that made its way over her mouth again from behind. Spinning around she shouted

"What?! You asked-"

"I know what I asked" he said kindly, "I just wanted a moment to process it all. You say all this now, to a total stranger in the open night, but have you ever explained this to someone else before?"

"No! How could I? I'm _careless Senshi leader Sailor Moon_! I'm not allowed to have FEELINGS!" When she started to cry, she stood there, letting him comfort her by holding her close. He gently soothed her with soft noises and stroking her hair. "Hey now, you're not _careless_, you're _brave_! And you're smart! And you're-" This time it was Sailor Moon who cut him off. In an instant, she was out of his arms and staring at him with strange eyes.

"How would you know that? I'm NOT brave, and I'm NOT smart! I'm not anything but a failure! I'm clumsy and whiney and always late. I eat like a pig because I need the energy, and I wail when I'm hurt because no one expects me to cry. _Now_ do you have a picture of what I'm like?" In a hard voice, she said, "If you knew me in civilian form, you'd hate me. And rightfully so".

Sailor moon stared hard at Tuxedo Kamen, relieved that she was finally getting something off her chest; guilty that she was losing her temper and taking it out on him; and wary, had she said too much?

"That," he started slowly, "didn't sound like you. That sounded like someone else." He paused for a second as he drew his conclusion. "Has someone _said_ this to you?" He thought back to someone it reminded him of, and he almost smiled as the differences between the two stacked up, a thousand to one, before returning to the present.

While in thought, he had subconsciously lead her to a pile of abandoned crates, and motioned for her to sit on the most stable looking one, as he took the air vent for his seat.

Sailor Moon, on the other hand, was shocked that he'd picked that up.

Nodding, she said, "Everyday."

That made Tuxedo Kamen angry. Internally, he was fuming, and plotting murder against whoever had made this sunshine feel so dim; but he made sure to keep his face calm and soothing to urge her on.

"Well, there's Sailor Mars of course. She has a fiery temper as you've probably seen, and if you catch her in the wrong mood..." Sailor Moon trailed off grimly, before fixing a smile on her face, which Tuxedo Kamen saw through immediately and continued. "But she's not that bad. It's this guy I see. Everyday. He's the one that loves pointing out my flaws".

'_I knew it! It was a boy!'_ Tuxedo Kamen's inner voice cried triumphantly, before sobering slightly at the realisation that he too, had someone he wasn't very nice to on a daily basis. "Go on" he urged seriously.

"Well. His name is Mamoru. And he's two years older than me, a 12th grader. He goes to one of those really smart schools, which is probably why he thinks I'm so dumb, because he's used to being surrounded by super smart girls." She peeked sideways to gauge his reaction, but he appeared to be staring transfixed at the moon. Pensive almost.

He startled her by saying, "I'm listening," without even looking at her, but she pressed on, not willing to let her slight scare be obvious.

"The first time we met was ironically the day I first became Sailor Moon," she gestured down at her fuku. "And I accidentally hit him on the head with a failed test. When I saw how pathetic that test score was, that very day I vowed I'd do better. Oh but little did I know! Anyway, after that..._fateful_ meeting, I've run into him twice a day –literally!-, and he'd make a snide comment about my hair." Her hand made its way up to her hair without her realising it, "or my grades, or my laziness, or my eating habits, or my supposed 'crush' on the local arcade worker Motoki, -who is just a FRIEND!- or anything really! He loves it when I fall over, because I hurt myself, and he loves it when I embarrass myself in public, because then he gets to have others laugh at me _with_ him. He's so frustrating I want to cry!" Sailor Moon said fiercely. When Tuxedo Kamen looked over at her, she added quietly, "and most days I do", and his heart broke.

This strong, brave warrior, was none other than little Usagi Tsukino, the girl he'd taunted day after day for months on end. She'd had the strength, and the bravery mocked out of her by none other than the one that saved her. '_Oh Usagi'_ he thought sadly. '_What have I done to you?'_ Was it too late? Was HE too late? Had he pummelled her self esteem so much that there was no chance of fixing it? He'd make it up to her. Somehow.

When he pulled himself out of his reverie, he noticed Sailor Moon staring at her boots, trying not to cry. Leaning forward, he planted his elbows on his knees so he was within a metre of her face, and said, "Sailor Moon? You know what I think?"

Not even looking up, Sailor Moon shook her head very slowly, eyes fixed on her boots.

"I think that you're an amazing girl. You're strong. And you're brave. I know you are. You're a light that shines in this otherwise dark world. You're more than you think you are. This planet is lucky to have you as its defender! But as for those who put you down, who are they to say what they do?" Reaching out a hand, he placed it under her chin, and gently forced her head up to his level so he could speak directly to her, and look her in the eyes. "Pointing out your flaws? Who doesn't have them! Flaws are what keep people from hating us." As she tried to look away, he held firmly to her chin. "Sailor Mars? Jealous. This...Mamoru? Jealous. If you want to know what I think, I think he likes you. I really do. You know how they say in elementary school that if a boy picks on you, he has a crush on you? This Mamoru sure has it!"

Sailor Moon found this hard to believe. "And how would you know he's not just some bully who likes to see me miserable for his entertainment?" Tuxedo Kamen almost smiled sadly at the thought of her opinion of him.

"Because, little bunny, believe it or not, there's something I'm not proud of either. I'm not exactly the world's most polite gentleman to a girl I know. And it wasn't until a little while ago, that I realised that I was in love with her." Sailor Moon felt her heart sink sadly at the thought that Tuxedo Kamen was in love, for she'd always had a little thing for him. But she was happy nevertheless that at least _someone_ was getting their happily ever after.

"I think tomorrow –not today, you should spend today in bed recuperating your lack of sleep-, you should give this guy another chance. He might surprise you." When Sailor Moon looked at him sceptically, he shrugged and said, "If not, you can come back here every night and talk to me about whatever's on your mind."

Sailor Moon nodded and stood up. Before she could run off, Tuxedo Kamen grabbed her wrist and looked seriously into her eyes. "And I want something else from you, Sailor Moon". Her heart started pounding as the rational part of her brain argued '_but didn't you just declare you loved another girl?' _

"I want you to tell one of your Senshi how you feel. Alright? Doesn't matter who, whether it be quiet little Mercury, or paranoid, overprotective Jupiter, or even that strange purple cat of yours I've seen you uh, talk to. Just. Talk. Ok? Just talk. You shouldn't ever have to feel this way."

When Sailor Moon gazed into his caring eyes, she couldn't help but lean in and kiss him softly on the cheek. "Thank you" she whispered smiling gently, before melting into the shadows and leaping off to who-knows-where.

Tuxedo Kamenf, putting two gloved fingers to his cheek smiled. "You're welcome... Usako".


	2. Frustrations

Hello fellow readers! xD I got so lost trying to edit this/put in my AN once I had uploaded it as chapter 2... But I'm getting there! :O :)

I've battled with a week of having been with the family, so I think I deserve a few reveiws to salvage what's left of my strength :C Anyways, thank you to all who reviewed, and many thanks to my beta Moosagi - who also had a week of family. Yay for blood relations!

Disclaimer: It may not be very original but...._I don't own Sailor Moon. _***Audience gasps dramatically*** :C *Hangs head in shame* Yes, yes. It's true. I own nothing in comparison to the rights of the SM kingdom... So here's something to cheer us all up with... Chapter two! ***Afudience cheers, author bows***

* * *

Sailor Moon managed to stumble blindly in through her bedroom window, right as the alarm clock on her bedside table struck three. But her brain barely registered the time as she was just too tired to care; too tired to function. She was immediately grateful that Luna was staying the night at Rei's, for she surely would have had her head chewed off for staying out so late on a school night. Grabbing her broach in the process, she collapsed on her bed, having detransformed mid-fall, and descended into a deep sleep.

A few short hours later, too soon for Usagi's taste, her younger brother bargfed in her room yelling at the top of his lungs – proving that Usagi had gained her lungs from genetics –

"GET UP! GET UP LAZY BUM! MUM SAYS GET UP! UP, UP, UP, UP, UP! GET UPPPPPPPP!"

Groaning, Usagi turned her head on the pillow, where she lay ontop of the covers, and Shingof got a look at her haggard face.

Shingof staggered back towards the door in exaggerated shock.

"Woah! You look like that bat that got fried on the power lines the other day! That's so gross, what's up with your face?"

"Go away," moaned Usagi from where she lay, bone tired and entirely drained. Shingo took one more gleeful look at his sister before dashing out of the room bellowing to the household that Usagi was no rabbit – she was a fried bat. Minutes later, Ikuko was storming in, waving a spatula threateningly.

"Usagi Tsukino, you get up right this instant young lady. You're going to be late for school! And if I get another call fr-Usa! Look at you! What's wrong baby?" Usagi's eyes remained shut as she felt her mother's hands flutter uselessly over her, feeling her forehead, touching her cheeks, tilting her head to and fro by her chin... Usagi moaned again, pleading for rest. Ikuko took a step back and examined her daughter. One hand placed on her hip as the other rested by her face, she stared at the exhausted human being before her. Motherly instinct took over and her gaze softened.

"Aww my poor baby! What's got you so tired? You look like a corpse! How can you expect to go to school like this? No, you'll just have to stay home today and rest, maybe you've been studying too hard..." As her mother continued to mutter on her way out about late night study sessions and schools lacking proper homework systems, a wave of guilt rushed over Usagi. Her constant lies to her family about where she had to disappear to only reinforced what she'd been telling Tuxedo Kamen just last night.

Usagi's eyes flew open. Wide eyes stared at her ceiling as she tried to recall exactly what had transpired the night before. '_I didn't....and I didn't...No! Oh I did, I did!'_ she mentally wailed as she remembered spilling her guts to the masked superhero. She flung her hands over her face, ashamed of how whiney and stupid she must have sounded. '_You're a superhero for goodness sake!'_ She mentally chided, '_you're not supposed to complain about it!'_

"Oh he must hate my guts now," she moaned in self-pity. But even as she said it, as the words rolled off her tongue, they didn't sound right. Closing her eyes again, she remembered the way his eyes had softened as she'd let out her steam, how he'd looked at her with such care when he bid her farewell. _'If not, you can come back here every night and talk to me about whatever's on your mind,' _he'd promised, '_you shouldn't ever have to feel this way_'.

Maybe he didn't think she was a total wuss. Maybe, now that he'd heard her side of the story, that they'd shared a - no. It was impossible. Wasn't it? Usagi pondered what their relationship could be described as now. It wasn't enough to warrant them _comrades_ anymore. No. Maybe they were...Friends?

Friends. She liked the thought of that. Crawling under the blankets and relaxing into her pillow again, she allowed herself to nod off – after all she was still running on low energy. _'Oh well,' _she mused tiredly, but happily all the same, '_at least I get the day off school!'_

* * *

Mamoru had been up all night. He'd gone home knowing he wouldn't be able to sleep, yet he'd laid in bed, waiting for the eventual shutting down of his brain to occur, but it never did. Instead, thousands of images and thoughts were racing through his head. Sailor Moon's downcast eyes staring at her boots in shame as she'd explained how hard it was to juggle school and Sailor life. Her face fierce as she'd stared right at him, declaring _'he's so frustrating I want to cry!' _The grim look her face had held as she thought of the numerous troubles in her life. Usagi's carefree and almost child-like attitude when she'd waltz into the arcade after school with the girls. The triple banana splits, the large chocolate milkshakes with extra chocolate, the double cheeseburgers and fries – it all added up now. No wonder she was so small! She ate like a hungry hippo because she needed the extra sugar and energy!

Groaning at the thought, he covered his face with his hands. Well now he felt like a downright pig for making comments about her diet. Flinging his hands back onto the bed in agitation, he laid there for several hours, staring at his ceiling, thinking. How could he make her forgive him when he'd been a total baka to her the whole time he'd known her? Every time he tried to think of ways to make it up to her, his mind went blank. As the sun began to rise, his thoughts strayed back to Sailor Moon the night before. "_I'm not like the other Senshi! I'm different!" _

How right she'd been. She _was_ different. But not in the warrior type way. Well, sure she was a good fighter... when she wasn't falling on her face that was. But she was a good person. A _good person_. And sometimes, _that _made a good warrior. She had the right sense of judgment, and she was always trying to see the good in everyone. Little Usagi was the same. Always nice to everyone, always acting like everyone's best friend. Except his. But he deserved that.

The others? They were just focused on fighting the ugly youma. Mercury, hiding in the back with her little computer, and Mars trying to crisp it into nonexistence. Jupiter throwing lighting at it like a bowling ball, Venus sizzling its eyesight away with that crescent beam of hers. And Sailor Moon, probably the bravest of them all, would ... What did she do? Moondust the otherworldly creature if it refused to turn good? Well that was reasonable. But he knew why she tried to avoid using the wand. He could tell she hated the killing part, because he could feel her emotions through that strange connection they had – though he was sure she had no idea it even existed. But that connection didn't always work; it was completely useless last night. When he'd followed Sailor Moon to the docks, he'd had no sense as to why she was there. He could only guess what she was up to, and he didn't like guessing. Frustrated that he was getting nowhere, he staggered out of bed, grabbing some clothes on his way to the shower.

Several minutes later, he emerged from the steamy bathroom fully dressed. Striding through the lounge room and bypassing his usual olive green blazer that hung by the front door, he grabbed his keys off the hook and slammed the door shut.

* * *

Motoki whistled happily as he wiped the counter down with a new cloth. He just loved the feeling of the fresh material spreading its cleanliness across the counter - it was even better than the feeling of using a new cleaning spray! As his little tune came to an end, a very high pitched squealing sounded beyond the automatic doors. Head snapping up from the counter, he saw a cherry red convertible zoom past the windows and do a fishtail into a very narrow parking space. Motoki's eyes widened as he recognised the car, and watched it make the park perfectly, before the driver dashed madly out the door. Storming into the arcade, Mamoru threw himself into the empty stool before Motoki and asked politely

"Cup of coffee Toki?"

But his friend just stood there with one hand on the cloth, the other hanging beside him, staring at him.

"What?" They both asked in different tones.

The arcade worker glanced around before leaning on his elbows to stare Mamoru straight in the eyes in concern.

"You alright there buddy? Not a little...angry? Frustrated? Edgy?"

Mamoru kept an indifferent face on.

"Of course not, why do you ask?"

His friend waved a hand in the direction of the windows, "oh, only the fact that you almost totalled two cars out there, nearly killing yourself in the process?"

Mamoru snorted in disbelief and changed the topic.

"It's a convertible, and I like to drive fast. Now how 'bout that coffee hmm?"

His friend shook his head slightly and reached below the counter for a mug.

"There's something you're not telling me," he told him, before turning to get the pot. Pulling the mug toward him, Mamoru spun it around on the counter repeatedly until Motoki snatched it out of his hand. Holding the mug aloft despite his friends grumbles he warned

"No caffeine for you until you tell me what's up. You came here to talk, that's obvious." When Mamoru opened his mouth in protest, Motoki continued, "you have coffee at your place, so it's not about the coffee. Now talk to Dr. Motoki and spill." As an afterthought, he added, "hey why aren't you at school?"

Rolling his eyes, Mamoru bargained, "coffee first, then we'll talk." When Motoki stood there squinting at him suspiciously, he sighed agitatedly and lied, "My only two classes for today were cancelled."

Motoki smiled and nodded, setting the mug back down on the counter and filling it with hot coffee. Watching Mamoru carefully as he sipped the drink, he noticed dark smudges under his friend's eyes and the way his eyelids drooped slightly. Tilting his head, Motoki grabbed the cloth and threw it under the counter. Mamoru stared at him over the rim of the mug, and when he put it down, he raised an eyebrow.

"Wasn't that new?"

Motoki answering look showed he didn't understand what he was talking about.

"Don't you have that thing with new cloths? You spend an hour wiping the tables and all?" When Motoki continued to stare at him, he shrugged and muttered, "never mind".

"So what's on your mind my friend? What's kept you up all night?"

Mamoru really didn't want to get into it, and he certainly couldn't reveal that he'd spoken to Sailor Moon the previous night; so he wracked his brains for some way he could bring it up. After struggling for a few seconds, he realised it must have been like this for Usagi last night, when she had been trying to think of a way to bring up the conversation. Thinking of poor Usagi and her frustrations with life, he sighed and admitted his thoughts to Motoki.

"I want to patch things up with Odango."

Motoki froze in surprise.

"You...You do?" Suspicion returned to his eyes, "why?"

Mamoru felt slightly pressured under the intense gaze of his best friend.

"Uh, because I haven't been very nice to her?" He tried. When Motoki crossed his arms and leaned on one leg, he knew that wasn't what his friend was waiting for.

"Because she's a nice girl who deserves an apology?"

As silence followed, Mamoru tried to come up with another answer, but his thoughts still strayed back to last night.

"_And it wasn't until a little while ago, that I realised that I was in love with her." _

Mamoru spluttered mid-sip in his coffee as he recalled what he'd proclaimed last night.

"In love with her?" He blurted out loudly in disbelief, before realising his mistake. Looking up in horror he saw Motoki nodding at him in understanding.

"I knew you'd figure it out sooner or later," he said smugly. "Though sooner would have been better for me, you know?" When Mamoru glared at him murderously, he held up his hands in defence, "hey, I'm just the third party!"

"I don't love her!" Mamoru called to Motoki as he disappeared out the back. "I was just kidding!"

Moments later, Motoki came back, arms loaded with a heavy tray of wet glasses. Placing it on the newly wiped counter, he picked up the first glass and began drying it with a dishcloth.

"So," he started conversationally. "What are you going to do about it?"

"I don't love her Toki, I was just joking!" Mamoru growled

"Sure ya do!" Came the cheerful reply.

Silence reigned for a few minutes, comfortable in Motoki's eyes, awkward in Mamoru's. Motoki began to whistle again as he dried, while Mamoru stared into his half finished java.

"I don't love her" he tried again.

"Alright," came the patronising reply.

"I don't!" He insisted.

"Okey-dokey..."

"Really Toki, you're making this all up in your head."

"Cool!"

"Tokiiiii"

"Mamoruuuu"

"Honestly, I don't know what to tell you, I don't know why I said that. I was just kidding!"

Motoki placed an empty glass on the counter and they both stared at it. "This is you," he informed his friend, gesturing towards the cup. Mamoru raised an eyebrow.

"Clean?"

"Empty."

Filling up another glass from the sink, he poured water into the first until it was nearly full.

"This is you when Usa's around."

"Full of myself?" he deadpanned.

"No, low bladder control." Joked his blonde friend. At his friends glare, he added seriously, "full."

"Fool?"  
"Full."

"Full of _what_?"

Motoki shrugged. "Life."

"Not really," murmured Mamoru to his coffee, before having another sip and making a face. He held the mug out to his friend, "refill?"

Motoki took the mug and chucked the cold coffee in the sink before filling it up with a fresh one and handing it back.

"So you want to get back into Usa's good graces?" He summarised.

"_Back_ implies I was once there," Mamoru said sourly.

"You were," Motoki put in kindly. "You always were, but then...you kind of slipped off."

This surprised Mamoru. "Really? She didn't hate me the moment she met me?"

"Well, she tried to be your friend for a few weeks, even after all those comments you made to her. She tried, she really did."

Mamoru leaned back on the stool as he thought about it.

"Do you think I still have a chance?" He asked, "a chance to make it up to her?"

"What does it matter? It's not like you're in love with her," smirked Motoki, before taking his notepad out of his apron pocket and walking over to a nearby booth.

Mamoru had remained in that seat for the rest of the day, refilling his coffee continuously until Motoki refused to give him any more, thinking.

Early in the afternoon, the automatic doors chimed their greeting at the new arrival, but Mamoru didn't look up. It was only when he heard Motoki exclaim "Usa? What on earth are _you_ doing here? Shouldn't you be in school?" that Mamoru's head snapped up for the first time in hours. Peeking at the blonde from the corner of his eye, he watched her walk up to the counter with an unusual sense of grace and perch herself on the stool not too far from his.

"Hello Motoki" she greeted in an unnaturally un-Odango fashion. "May I please have a small chocolate shake? No whipped cream this time please".

At Motoki's frozen stare, and Mamoru's stiff posture, she looked between them in wide eyes.

"What?"

After another beat of nothing, they both resumed movement. Motoki began her milkshake as she turned reluctantly to the raven haired genius beside her.

Tentatively, she looked in Mamoru's direction, before dropping her gaze to his hands where they sat cupping his coffee and avoiding eye contact, murmured

"Hello, Mamoru-san."

She was so quiet! So meek! So... _normal_.It was like all the natural exuberance of the Odango had fled, leaving a perfectly normal teenager sitting in her place.

'_Reply you idiot!'_

"Good uh, afternoon, Od-Usagi-chan." He said, tilting his head in her direction before staring at his coffee mug too. An awkward silence hung in the air until Motoki placed a frothing milkshake in front of the blonde. Leaning on the counter with one elbow, his eyes twinkled as he looked at Usagi.

"So how come you're not at school today Usa?"

Mamoru almost smirked at the thought, but kept his expression perfectly controlled as he too leaned in to hear her nervously reply,

"I'm..uh..sick today Toki."

"Well you do look a little pale, and those eyes are pretty dark looking" said Motoki while Mamoru nodded in agreement, adding "You look really tired today O-Usagi-chan. Are you not sleeping well?"

Glancing between the two of them in a flustered fashion, Usagi shook her head.

"No, I am! I just had a pretty exhausting week, that's all." As if realising she'd yet to screech at him in their daily bickering routine, she peered at him suspiciously over her milkshake. "Hey why are you being so nice to me all of a sudden baka? What are you up to?"

Holding his hands up, he defended himself, "since when do I need a reason to be nice to you?" At her narrowed eyes, he continued "I'm not up to anything, I swear. I just think maybe we got off on the wrong foot........"

Mamoru trailed off awkwardly, looking between a shocked Usagi and an excited Motoki, who was giving him thumbs up behind the young girl's back. "Uh..." Raising a hand to the back of his head, he raked his fingers through his hair as he tried to find a plausible excuse.

Usagi was really, really _confused_. "Um," she tried, but when nothing came to her, she squinted at the wall in the hopes of something making sense.

Another long bout of silence ensued as the three teens waited for another to say something. The arcade was empty by now, and all that could be heard was the ticking of the clock on the wall above the microwave. The silence was stretching far too long now. Ridiculously, far too long. Not being able to take it anymore, Usagi jumped up out of her stool and pointed at the milkshake, "uh could I get that to go please Toki?"

As her friend complied, Usagi stood facing the doors, imaging her exit from the too-awkward situation she was currently in. _'All I wanted to do was come for a nice walk to get a milkshake!'_ She thought to herself. Jumping slightly when a cold foam cup was pressed into her hands, Usagi turned back to the two boys. Raising the milkshake, Usagi smiled slightly and silently thanked the arcade worker before turning and calming walking out the door. Sure she could feel their eyes on her as she walked past the large window on her way home, as soon as she was out of eye-sight, she broke out into a run.

Usagi ran all the way to the park. Satisfied that she was alone, she slowed down and spied a wooden bench nearby. Sighing in relief, she plonked herself down and gazed at the lake before her. The midday sun glinted off the peaceful water, winking and shimmering at her, as a gentle breeze rustled the leaves around her. '_It's very peaceful here,'_ thought the girl. '_This is a nice place to just...think.'_

Absent mindedly, she raised the milkshake, and placed the straw in her mouth. She remained like that for quite a while, her mind playing the arcade scene all over again in her head. _What_ went _on_ back there? Nothing had gone the way she'd planned! Usagi remembered thinking on her way over there about getting a drink and talking to Motoki for a bit before coming back home to do some study...Hmmm. No; instead, she'd come face to face with the devil himself, who'd been uncharacteristically nice to her the entire time... But he was up to something. She was sure of it. After nearly two years of nonstop insults and put downs, she just couldn't figure out why the change of heart in the upperclassman. The way Mamoru had looked at her in concern, it reminded her of the way a friend might look at another friend, like they actually cared. But this was Mamoru! He wasn't a friend! He was a....he was a....he was a foe! He was an enemy!

"Why was he being nice to me?" She voiced outloud. "Why didn't he call me Odango Atama or something?" As the condensation rolled down her fingers, she remembered her shake and drank it.

"I...." Usagi stuggled to find the words to what she was feeling. "I...I'm confused." '_Well if that isn't the understatement of the century!'_ "I....He....Why was he so different? Why was he like that?"

Usagi thought back to how she'd wanted to plan out how to talk to the jerk before they'd met, so she could follow Tuxedo Kamen's advice _and_ not look like an idiot. '_Looks like that didn't happen,_' her mind chided her.

"I was going to plan what to say! I was going to _plan!_ I was going to prepare to be the first one to be nice! It was supposed to be me! Not...not that! Not him!" She huffed to the breeze. Groaning, she screwed up her eyes in distress, as the mind boggling behaviour of her arch enemy clashed with the growing exhaustion again, and the brilliant light of the sun beaming at her eyes.

"I'M SO FRUSTRATED!" She cried suddenly. Many birds flew out of trees in fright, and the wind stopped abruptly. Looking around, blood rushed to her face as she realised she'd just yelled for nothing, and probably looked crazy. "I _am_ crazy," she muttered to herself. Usagi flushed again as she realised she'd just reassured herself outloud that she belonged in an asylum. Tears of frustration sprung to her eyes and she dropped her head into her hands.

"Why do I even care?" She whispered into her palms. "Why does it even matter? This is what I always wanted isn't it? To be treated like a real person by him. Isn't it?" Tuxedo Kamen's face floated in her mind. _"Don't give up Sailor Moon,"_ he told her. "_Build the relationship from here. I know you can do it."_

"But I don't WANT a relationship! I want...I want..."

**Beep Beep Beep Beep Beep Beep Beep Beep Beep Beep Beep Beep Beep Beep Beep Beep Beep Beep.**

It only took a moment for Usagi to suddenly be alert, and to glance around quickly for any witnesses, before twisting her hand mid air and pulling out her communicator from her sub space pocket. She wiped at her face to remove all traces of tears, and sniffling, pressed the flashing blue button, to meet Ami's panicked face.

"Usagi-chan! My youma detector has just picked up on a youma trashing the local library! I can't identify its power levels from here, but we're stuck here until the lunch bell goes! We can't leave, and you're the only one who can do anything about it!"

"What do you mean you can't leave?!"

"Miss Haruna is having some...relationship troubles, so to speak, and is conducting in a very ill-tempered manner. I'm afraid she's not even letting students use the bathroom! We can't get _out_!"

Usagi sat transfixed, staring at the small screen before her. She'd never fought on her own before. Not after discovering her scouts, that was. But thankfully, her inner voice interceded '_This is your chance Usa! Show them how brave you are, show them you can do it! Show them....Show them you can defeat a monster all on your own!' _Triumphantly, Usagi jumped up and declared to her Senshi of ice determinedly "I'll do it!"

"Hurry!" Cried Ami, tears forming in her eyes. "Save the books!"

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**_Review my lovelies!_**


	3. Just Let It Out

Sorry for the wait in updating, editing took awhile my friends. But on the plus side, I believe I have almost completed drafts for two new fanfics (decent lengths too) - so fear not. Actually, that's a bit embarrassing assuming that people are waiting for me to publish something (especially when there are authors like Kaitlyn Fall and Alicia Blade out there!) when you probs don't even like my stuff. But erm. For those kind and newly loyal followers; your cheque's in the mail!

**DISCLAIMER: **Tra la la la la la - did you like my song? It belonfgs to me! XD Unlike Sailor Moon :C

*Audience members boo and author ducks from flying fruits hurled at her head*

"YOU CALL THAT A DISCLAIMER?"

"BOOOOOOO!"

"GET OFF THE STAGE!"

"GIVE US KAITLYN!"

**_Also - I couldn't think of an appropriate chapter title (all of them made me cringe or drop 20 IQ points) so can someone help me out here and review some suggestions? Thankies my lovlies._**

* * *

Sailor Moon made it to the Juuban library in record time, having raced across the rooftops of suburban Tokyo, leaping between the buildings. Landing somewhat gracefully in front of the library steps, she looked up at the massive structure as it seemingly loomed over her. Gulping as she felt the towering shadows consume her, she banished her fear and squared her shoulders.

"I'm going in." She declared fiercely.

Sprinting up the stairs, she threw open the door and burst in.

But all was quiet.

Looking around in suspicion, her eyes widened as she saw the destruction that had taken place in the room she stood. Squishy armchairs, study desks, reading lamps alike were all strewn haphazardly around the large space, ripped to shreds, overturned and hanging in pieces. The drinking fountain in the corner had been pulled off the ground, and was lying innocently next to the spout of flowing water, gurgling from the water pipe below the carpet. Stepping onto the soggy and squeaky carpet, Sailor Moon poised her ears for any further sounds, over that of the running water and groaning hanging lights above her. She was rewarded with a slight squeaking sound from the far end of the library.

Setting off for that direction, Sailor Moon tiptoed in her heeled boots, creeping through the entryway, eyes scanning for any sign of youma trouble. Doubts nibbled at her as she crept along the first shelf of books, aware that no one was here; human or not. Fingers hovering above her tiara just in case, Sailor Moon snuck a peek around the corner into the first aisle. No one was there.

Narrowing her eyes, she slipped into the aisle and began toward the next one, ears keeping a tab on the squeaking in the back. She learned that the next few aisles were empty too upon inspection, and sweat began to bead on her brow. The adrenaline pumping in her blood made it hard to concentrate, as did the rush of it in her ears, but Sailor Moon took a deep breath and plunged on. After the seventh empty passageway, when she was really beginning to freak, the young Senshi's ears detected a shuffling sound accompanying the squeaking sound, and she froze. It was in the next row for sure. Slowly removing her tiara from her sweaty brow and holding it tightly, Sailor Moon peeked around the corner.

And nearly dropped it.

There, in the middle of the aisle, was an old librarian, reshelving books. Blinking in surprise, Sailor Moon hovered by the corner and watched as the elderly woman picked up another book from her trolley, checked its spine, and placed it in the allocated spot. Sailor Moon meant to continue scoping out the possible enemy, but upon shifting the weight on her feet, she caused the flooded carpet to squeak – loudly. Gasping, her eyes snapped back up from the floor to the librarian, to see her smiling at her in a muddled sort of way.

"Why hello there dear" She said curiously, in that grandmother kind of tone. "Are you looking for a book? Would you like some help?" Realising that she had been spotted, Sailor Moon stepped cautiously out from behind the shelf and into the open aisle.

"That's right, don't be shy" she soothed. "You can come out. _Are_ you looking for a book my child?"

Shaking her head, Sailor Moon edged slowly up to the elderly woman. "Are you...alright miss?" She asked uncertainly.

"Of course I am" nodded the librarian. "Fit as a fiddle. Don't let my age fool you youngling, I can be quite a fighter, let me tell you!"

Small warning bells went off in the blonde's head. Knowing it was probably the youma tricking her with a disguise, the hair on the back of her neck suddenly stood on end. Placing the book in her hands back into the trolley, the librarian moved toward Sailor Moon.

"Do you know that no one else but you is here?" Sailor Moon gasped, trying to feign ignorance.

The librarian's eyes shifted side to side in her large, round glasses, looking around the aisle, as if expecting to see others there.

"No..." She dragged in a low voice, "but that's not unusual, the library is a quiet place. I'm sure they're here somewhere, reading quietly or working diligently."

Sailor Moon began to back out, raising her voice to call over as she did so "Are you sure? Because I'm pretty sure there's -"

Sailor Moon was interrupted by a high pitched squealing sound - which shattered the nearby window – erupting from the old woman. Backing out faster, she watched in fright as the woman seemingly flattened into a paper-thin dimension and was folded into squares that got smaller and smaller. Once the square was no bigger than a book, it began to enlarge, folding outward on itself in a reverse fashion of what it had just done, until in its place was an ugly, roaring youma.

Dressed like an open book, there stood a tall and thin young woman with multicoloured shredded paper for hair that fell down into waves around her waist. Her body was surrounded by large pages, all with big mathematical and scientific equations printed on the fluttering pages, as with what Sailor Moon was sure to be hebrew and greek lettering. Her face was contorted with rage and her eyes flashed dangerously behind her large glasses.

"YOU WILL BE QUIET IN A LIBRARY!" She roared, which made Sailor Moon shake right down to her toes. Sailor Moon reversed as quickly as she could, until her foot caught onto something thick, and she stumbled backwards. Landing on her hands, Sailor Moon looked down to see she'd tripped on a wayward book which she was sure hadn't been there a moment ago.

Looking up in time to see the youma advancing on her fast, Sailor Moon shot up and bolted for safety. Running down the corridor, she looked around wildly for some cover until she could think up a plan. Spying an empty trolley, she grabbed at the handles as she ran passed and pushed it the opposite way, and when she heard a satisfying yowl of pain, she knew she'd hit the youma. Seeing an overturned table that would suit her well for cover, Sailor Moon dived for it, narrowly missing a book thrown her way. As it sailed past her head, it collided with the table she was running for, and skidding to a halt just in time, she watched in panic as it exploded.

Sailor Moon spun around and ducked as a second book sailed through the air in her direction.

"Shoot!" she muttered as she dodged yet another flying book, only to trip over a stray and land sprawled on the soggy carpet. "Ew" she whined as she picked herself off the floor and twisted her dripping skirt out. But before she could get to the rest of her fuku, the youma suddenly appeared beside her, which made Sailor Moon scream in fright. The jewelled microphones in her odango's amplified her vocal terror and a small earthquake effect was made. Books tumbled off the quivering shelves as the youma clutched at her head in pain moaning "be quiet!"

Closing her mouth and dodging a badly aimed book, Sailor Moon eyed the shelves as the books ceased falling.

"I have an idea!" She cried triumphantly, pointing directly to the giant book who glared murderously back at her. Running past the youma and bonking her smartly on the head with one of her own books, Sailor Moon headed for the entrance. Aware that the youma was hot on her heels, she threw herself into an aisle, and another, and another, until the youma had lost her and she could continue to run free to the front doors.

Out of breath but pleased with her plan, Sailor Moon dived out of the last aisle and flattened herself against the shelf. She listened for the youma, who she could hear was carrying on in the medical section – Ami's favourite – and spurred back into motion. Giving herself some space for a run up, Sailor Moon backed up several paces before charging at the shelf and giving a roundhouse kick with everything she had. She watched in satisfaction as it fell down heavily, crashing into the next shelf, which in true domino effect, crashed into the next one, and the next one, and the next one, until there was nothing more than a large pile of rubble and books.

Dancing around the aisles, she looked for the youma, praying that it had not gotten away lest she had destroyed the library for no good reason. Just as she passed the encyclopaedia's, she heard a small, cranky moaning issued under the mountain of books that sat not too far from where she stood. Stepping carefully up to the pile, she wiped the top few books away and saw a crippled hand peeking out. Removing a few more, she cleared the pile until she could see that the youma was trapped under a bookshelf that leaned dangerously on its neighbour. Reaching up for her tiara, Sailor Moon began the attack phrase until – SWOOSH - she felt her face sliced right down the middle.

Screeching in pain, Sailor Moon stumbled back and clutched at her face. Only being able to open one eye, she peeked through it to see her white gloves stained a bright, brilliant red; her blood. Her face stung even more as the fresh air brushed over it, and she bit her bleeding lip to hold back from screaming again. Pressing her left hand against her face in order to stop the bleeding, she glared out of her right eye at the youma who still lay trapped under the shelf, looking smug with itself. Wiping the blood out of her right eye with the back of her hand, she reached up for her tiara which had replaced itself on her forehead.

"Moon Tiara Magic!" she cried, hurling it at the trapped youma on the floor.

When the brilliant white light had faded, Sailor Moon sank to her knees wiping furiously at her face with the backs of her hands. Hissing as the skin stung, she barely noticed another pair of hands touching it. When those same hands pulled hers away from her face, Sailor Moon jumped thinking it was the youma, until she saw the concerned face of Tuxedo Kamen peering at her closely.

"That's some paper cut" he joked.

Wincing as his gentle hands probed at the skin, Sailor Moon stole a glance at her rescuer.

"I didn't need you this time" she told him astounded.

He chuckled and pulled her to her feet. "_I_ wouldn't say that."

Not caring where he was leading her, Sailor Moon just allowed herself to be guided through the destroyed library.

"No, it's true! Besides this injury, I did quite well today, don't you think? I carried out my own plan and everything!"

As he pushed and held open a swinging door for her, he smiled at her in a familiar patronizing way.

"We'll see."

Observing the destination, and working it out to be the bathroom, Sailor Moon turned to Tuxedo Kamen, ready to ask why they were there, but when she saw him pull out a first out kit from thin air, the words died on her lips. Settling the box on the sink, the tuxedo clad hero pulled out a bottle of antiseptic and a piece of cotton wool.

"This is going to sting a little" he warned, advancing slowly to her with raised hands so she could see what he was holding. Sailor Moon visibly gulped but stood stock still as he began to dab at the cut. The first few dabs, though gentle, seared painfully as he pressed the antiseptic coated cotton wool on the skin, but the more he pressed, the duller it got. Turning around and throwing the cotton wool in the bin, he capped the antiseptic bottle and put it back in the first aid kit, closing the lid as he did so.

"Well it's all clean now," he began as he turned back to face her. "But that won't heal it." He hovered for a moment as if making a decision, and coming to it, he added "I can mend it if you like – I have ways."

The way he voiced it, it was clear he was letting her have a choice – but she wasn't stupid.

"Fix it" she nodded grimly.

Leaning closer to her, he paused and gazed into her eyes. Seeing the faith and sincerity stare back at him made him believe that he could trust her with his secret, so he raised his hands slowly to her face. One hand held her chin at the right angle, the other hovered above her nose. Tearing his eyes from hers, he focused on the cut that ran from just under her left eye, across to the bottom of her right cheek. The bleeding had stopped, but there was still an angry red slash, surrounded by tinted pink until it blended with the creamy white skin of the rest of her face. Calling on his golden sparks, he watched as they did their job, healing the wound and closing the skin up.

When he was finished, he lowered his palms and stepped back to inspect his job. Apart from the faint flush – no doubt just the blood that had risen to the surface – she held there was no indication that she'd been hurt. Nodding to himself, he picked up the first aid kit and turned; ready to walk out before a hand grabbed at his wrist. Spinning around again he met wide blue eyes staring at him in awe and shock.

"What" Sailor Moon breathed slowly "_was_ that?"

Really not knowing how to explain it properly, Tuxedo Kamen strode over to the sink, created a sharp rose and held it up for her to see. Jerking his head to tell her to come over, he summarised

"I don't know what it is exactly, but all I know is that ever since I became Tuxedo Kamen...I've just had it. It's like my own superpower. My only one. I can heal."

And with that, he took the rose and sliced across his right hand, cutting right through the skin as if it were nothing more than paper. Sailor Moon gasped in horror as the blood began to seep out, trickling down his hand and into the basin. But in mere seconds, it was gone, having been enveloped in golden sparks. Grabbing his hand, she examined it, only to find that his cut was nonexistent and the only indication that it had just happened was the now red glove he wore ripped right in the centre. Looking up to see Sailor Moon's eyes bulging out, the tuxedo clad hero chuckled and withdrew his hand.

"Now do you believe me?" He asked smiling, whilst internally he was praying to god that she wouldn't freak out and never talk to him again.

It took his companion a few seconds to answer, as she spluttered angrily "you didn't have to cut yourself just to prove your point! I would have believed you! God! Now I'm going to go home and the last thing that'll be on my mind before I go to sleep tonight is that you could be some emo, cutting yourself at night, and then healing it again so no one can tell. Please tell me you don't do that?!" But her gaze and tone softened as she added "are you alright though? It doesn't like, still hurt or anything does it?" When he shook his head and assured her he was alright she turned back to being hostile and was berating him all over again.

He was stunned by her little speech, how she'd gone from angry to caring in less than a second and it amused him. Grinning boyishly and grabbing her by the shoulders he steered her out of the bathroom, he let her continue to rant until she visibly paled and exclaimed "oh my god. Mercury's going to KILL me!"

They'd walked into the open space that had previously been the reading area and boy was it a mess! The youma sure had left nothing untouched. Panning the room of destruction, Sailor Moon gasped again as she saw the wreckage of the bookshelves. _'I did that! I did...what?!'_ There wasn't a book left undamaged, and dread filled every pore as she rememberedf what Ami had asked her to do.

"Oh my GOD!" She wailed. "Mercury's going to KILL me!"

Tuxedo Kamen looked over at her to see her hands flailing hastily to cover her face in shame – or fear he didn't know – before starting to cry.

"Whoa, whoa, whoa, whoa, whoa!" He jumped in hastily. "It's not that bad! I'm sure they have insurance and everything, it's a public library! It's ok, Mercury will understand. It's not your fault anyway, the youma was from the Negaverse! And the government-"

"SHE'LL NEVER TALK TO ME AGAIN! NOW WHO'S GOING TO HELP ME WITH MY HOMEWORK?" Cried the heroine beside him.

'_Poor Usagi'_ thought Tuxedo Kamen. _'It's not like her grades were all that stellar to begin with...'_

"Why don't you ask that Mamoru guy? You said he's year 12 right? So he's probably ace at your level of work!"

"Oh stop it" she snapped at him. "He would LAUGH at me, alright? You don't GET IT!" huffing out of the library, she fought her way through the sudden throng of news reporters and disappeared down a side alley. By the time the reporters had followed her in for an interview, she was gone. Disappointed that they'd missed their chance, they trumped back to the steps ready to pack up when out walked Tuxedo Kamen. Determined not to let another get away, they all swarmed in on the hero before he had a chance to get away. His panicked face sticking out in the sea of cameras and microphones and journalists alike was the last image of Tuxedo Kamen Usagi saw before slipping out of the alley and walking off.

It was beginning to get dark by the time Usagi got home, and her mother was very worried. And very angry.

"Where have you been?" She demanded as her daughter trooped in the front door.

"Uggh" Usagi moaned in reply "not now mother."

Ikuko gave her daughter an appalled look, but let it go since she was still looking a little pale.

"You and I will talk about this later" she warned before heading back to the kitchen where the scent of dinner wafted through.

Usagi dragged herself up the stairs and down the hall, passing the bathroom as she went. Taking a few steps back, she pushed the door open and inspected her face. There was nothing out of the ordinary.

"Huh" she murmured, "he did an alright job."

Heading for her room again she stepped on something soft and squishy which let out a painful "YEOW!"

"Luna?" Usagi jumped "Oh my gosh, I'm so sorry!" Shrinking under her cats withering glare she added guiltily "I didn't see you there!"

Holding her injured tail aloft, Luna stalked into Usagi's bedroom and jumped up on the bed. Usagi followed awkwardly behind and sat gingerly next to the cat as she licked her tail.

"So are you going to tell me how the battle went?" She enquired between licks. "What happened and what did you do about it? I want a play by play, and if you tell me that you -"

Usagi tuned out as she recalled the disastrous state the library had been left in. If Mercury wasn't going to have a fit, Luna sure would. Sighing at the thought of the earful she would receive, she was snapped out of her zone by a sharp

"Are you even listening to me Usagi?"

"Of course I am" Usagi muttered back, though slightly distracted.

"Well?" Demanded the cat.

Sighing again, Usagi made Luna promise not to get mad, as there was no helping what happened. Though Luna agreed reluctantly, she also had to promise not to interrupt until Usagi was done.

"Just get on with it" she snapped, already dreading the worst.

So Usagi described the situation, and though Luna opened her mouth several times to say something, she reminded her of her promise to keep quiet until the end. By the time she was finished, she was laying on her bed, avoiding the red eyes she knew would be accusing her of lacking Senshi skills. It was quiet for a few moments, and Usagi was just beginning to drift off into a light sleep, thinking Luna had left, when the cat asked in quiet amazement

"You fought it by yourself?"

Usagi continued to stare at the ceiling, though her eyebrows knitted.

"Well, yeah. What did you expect when Mercury called you?"

"Mercury didn't call me" Luna replied, affronted.

"Then how did you know there was an attack?"

"I watch the news Usagi," came the deadpan reply.

Rolling onto her side to look at Luna, Usagi asked

"So what did you expect me to say when I got home?"

The cat, who now sat on the floor looked away rather embarrassed.

"I thought Mars or Jupiter would have weakened it enough for you to destroy it" she muttered to the floor.

"Excuse me?" Exclaimed Usagi, sitting up quickly. "I am JUST as capable as the others you know! I CAN do it!"

"I'm not saying that -" Luna started, before being drowned out by the still talking Usagi.

"I was fighting the NegaVerse WAY before the other Senshi were even reawakened! I mean give me a break! I work HARD to be leader, and you sometimes treat me like dirt Luna! ALL of you! It's enough to make me want to QUIT some days! Grrrr!" Usagi stormed past a surprised Luna, who asked where she was going now.

"I'm having a shower, gotta cool off!" She snapped as she grabbed a towel from the cupboard in the hall and stalked off.

Just as the bathroom door slammed shut, Shingo came around the corner on the landing. Looking between the bathroom and Luna, he chuckled and said to Luna

"They say talking to yourself is the first sign of madness." Then realising he was no better, talking to a cat he added "but we always knew there was something wrong with her."

Usagi let the warm water caress her tired muscles and relaxed. She felt bad about snapping at Luna, and decided to apologise to her when she got out. Remembering what Tuxedo Kamen had told her about sharing her feelings, she resolved to tell Luna after the apology.

Turning off the taps and groping for her towel through the steam, Usagi stepped out of the bathroom and shivered as the cold air bit at her open skin. Tiptoeing across the hallway, she crept up to her bedroom, where the door was suspiciously closed. Stopping at the door, she pressed her ear to it and heard Luna talking quietly.

"I'm telling you Artemis, we're working her too hard. You should have heard how the youma attack went down today."

Pressing her ear further into the door, Usagi barely caught the reply as Artemis responded

"Mina told me it went well, though she didn't go into details."

"Usagi fought the monster solo." Luna informed him. There was a pause before Artemis could be heard.

"Are you sure?"

"Why would I lie to you? Yes I'm sure. Now I plan to talk to her tonight about it, because from what she told me, she managed to form up a plan, and carry it out. She got the youma, without suffering injury."

Usagi blinked, before remembering she'd purposely left out that the youma had gotten a good swipe at her; she didn't want to get Tuxedo Kamen in hot water, as much as she was peeved at him. Creeping back down the hall, she stopped in front of the bathroom and walked loudly the way she had just come, hearing Luna whisper urgently "she's coming" and audibly cut Artemis off.

When Usagi opened the door, she found Luna sitting innocently in the middle of her room. Her eyes noticed that something pink was sticking out from under Luna's tail, but she didn't say anything about it. Walking over to her drawers, she pulled out her pajamas and started getting changed.

"I'm sorry I was short with you before Luna" she said.

"Usagi, if you're feeling stressed, you know you can come to us."

"I know, I just – Yeah. I was going to talk to you about that."

Luna sat up straighter, then realised she was still sitting on the communicator and slumped back down.

"Really?" She asked

Nodding, Usagi turned around and sat on her bed, looking out her window. Gazing up at the moon in the twilight sky, she murmured

"Luna, if you hadn't picked me to be leader of the Senshi, who would have gotten it?"

Luna paused as she thought about it.

"I don't know," she said slowly as she thought it over. "It was only instinct that told me you were the one."

"Do you think, once we find the Moon Princess, that she'll appoint someone over me?"

"What do you mean Usagi?"

"What if she doesn't like me?" Usagi asked sadly. "What if she thinks I'm some pathetic waste of Sailor Senshi?"

Luna hopped on the bed and curled up in Usagi's lap, rubbing her head against Usagi's hand in an attempt to console her.

"She won't think that," Luna told her. "The princess is kind, and loving. She sees the best in everyone. She will be pleased with you and the senshi."

"How do you know that? We haven't even met her."

"I remember certain things about her from my past. It's what helps me remember our mission. It's what helps me remember the bigger picture more clearly."

"So once we find the princess, I won't be needed anymore?"

"Goodness no Usagi! Once the princess is found, your job will be even more important! You will protect her! You will be the leader of the royal guard."

"So what you're saying," Usagi said slowly as she looked down at her companion. "Is that I won't fade into the background. That I'll always be front and centre, where everyone can see my mistakes. Out in the open. Just like that."

"What's this really about?" Luna inquired as she looked deeply into her charge's eyes. "What brought all this on?"

"Well Luna. I spoke to Tuxedo Kamen the other night..." Began Usagi, feeling the feline in her lap tense. "No, no, it's alright. It's just he told me I should get things off my chest. Tell one of my senshi."

"Tell us what?" Luna asked cautionary.

Luna listened once again as Usagi told her what happened the other night after the youma in the park, feeling ashamed she hadn't picked things up sooner.

"Oh Usa" she said sadly, dipping her head. But before another thing could be said, Ikuko called Usagi down for dinner. Picking up her cat and placing her on the bed again, Usagi bad Luna goodbye and left.

Luna's eyes glowed eerily in the dark as she prowled under the bed, where she'd hidden the communicator whilst Usagi hadn't been looking. Pressing the conference button with her paw, Luna waited until all four correspondents answered before informing them

"Secret Senshi meeting in half an hour. You will be there."

* * *

**AN: **Um. Just upon re-reading this chapter (I wrote it like a month and a half ago), I realised this youma made absolutely no sense. It's quite comical. Really. So um. Review and tell me you loved it, because I based it on my wild imagination which created it because it can. Well done if you understood that sentence!

Hooray!


	4. To New Beginnings!

**AN **- _I have dedicated this chapter to Ms. Marion Carr, who passed away the last week. RIP my Nanny xoxoxox_

**Disclaimer: I'm starting to think even Naoko has to put these in....**

**

* * *

**

Makoto shuffled awkwardly in her spot on the floor as Rei passed around the tea. It was so inconvenient being the biggest one in the group at times like these. So darn inconvenient. She peeked sideways at Ami who was slumped over her chemistry textbook and rolled her eyes. You don't bring _homework_ to a _Senshi Meeting_ – it was like an unspoken rule!

Once Rei had finished distributing the drinks, she gracefully folded herself beside Mina at the table and looked expectedly at Luna; the others did the same.

Luna raised her head and looked seriously into each of their eyes.

"As you know, I called for this Senshi meeting to be held without Usagi tonight." When the girls nodded, she continued, "because the agenda for tonight _is_ Usagi."

The Senshi all blinked and looked between each other as if expecting someone to announce that they were planning a party for Usagi or something. Luna cleared her throat and continued

"It has come to my..._attention_... that certain members of our team are feeling a little...."

"Annoyed?" Supplied Rei.

"Hungry?" Mina asked while reaching forward and snatching up the cookie plate.

"Behind" Luna finished loudly. When the others looked at her, and Mina leaned backwards to see behind Luna, she bristled

"It's not very good when your leader and _friend_ feels inferior to the rest of the team, and struggles to commit to the everyday life when she feels so put down. I spoke with Usagi today. She fought a youma all on her own and she did wonderful. She didn't get hurt, and she checked out the area before attacking to make sure no harm came to any civilians, and she formulated a plan and stuck to it." When Makoto opened her mouth, Luna just shook her head and continued "yes, I know Usagi can seem a little careless and clumsy sometimes," Luna raised her voice as Rei's mouth snapped open to say something "_but_ she can be brilliant when she needs to be. I believe that our constant jibes" she looked at Rei, "and comments have been cutting her self esteem down to dangerous levels. Levels where they affect her role as a Senshi and as a leader."

"But she couldn't lead from day one!" Scoffed Rei as she rolled her eyes. "That was before any of us came along and _crushed her self esteem,_" she mimicked the end and snorted. "Get real Luna, it's just Usagi whining and blaming others. That's what she does, so don't tell us we're in the wrong."

"That's exactly the kind of attitude she's talking about!" Makoto snapped at Rei. Rei looked taken aback at her friends harshness but continued coolly

"Don't tell me you believe Usagi! She just wants more time to sleep! Come on guys, don't you see?" With no one agreeing with her, Rei stood up and stalked over to her bed, lifting up the covers and pointing to a pile of stacked textbooks.

"These are hers. She says she can't do her schoolwork because she doesn't have time, and yet she can't even bother to realise her books are here!"

"Rei!" Gasped Ami. "How could you keep them? Why didn't you give them back to Usagi when you first noticed they were there!"

"She'll get them back once she realises they're missing, and comes looking for them. They've been here for over three months anyway." Rei neglected to mention that she was using them instead, since she'd lost her books several weeks ago too.

"But she might need them Rei! Don't be so cruel, half-yearlies are coming up soon!" Ami admonished as Makoto and Minako nodded. Rei rolled her eyes and stomped back over to the table.

"You guys just don't get it do you-"

"No _you_ just don't get it Rei." Luna cut Rei off. "The kind of Usagi you've painted in your head is very different from the loving friend you actually know." When Rei scoffed, Luna narrowed her red eyes. "This attitude will have to stop Mars. Moon is maturing and needs you all more than ever. She's scared of accepting what is to come because she feels we all" she glanced back at Artemis who stopped licking his paw and lowered it, "underestimate her. She thinks that she's a failure because she's always getting cut down by her friends and peers."

When everyone at the table looked down in shame, Luna added sympathetically

"It was an eye opener for me even. I believe my behaviour in the last six months has been atrocious towards her and you can bet I will be correcting the error of my ways effectively from now."

"So what are we going to do? We can't just suddenly come out and start encouraging her or she'll know that we were informed behind her back and feel even more of a burden." Mina asked, oblivious to everyone's gaping stares.

"I propose a gradual three step plan." Makoto voiced. When the others all looked at her, she continued.

"The first is to stop discouraging her. We should all work on making her feel better on the battlefield first, because her safety is a primary concern." Makoto said determinedly. "If she got hurt because of me...." She trailed off sadly.

"The second will be working on rebuilding the self esteem and her self worth. She should know that we love and accept her the way she is. I can't believe what a bad friend I've been!" Ami added, sighing.

"And the third step should be training her up as a confident and rational leader. Show her what she's capable of!" Mina cheered, before sobering and adding to herself "showing her what she was capable of all along."

When everyone looked at Rei in expectance, Rei threw up her hands and yelled "fine! Operation Make It Up To Usagi has commenced!"

As the girls all leaned in over the table to discuss tactics, Mina sighed and said loudly

"You know, we're really gonna need a better name."

XoXoX

Meanwhile, back at the Tsukino residence, the blond in question was pushing her mashed potatoes around her plate absently with her fork. She wasn't really hungry truth be told.

"Usa, honey? Are you alright? You're not eating!" Her mother asked worriedly. Usagi looked up quickly to see her whole family watching her. Mind ticking for a plausible explanation, she just shrugged and said

"Just not hungry I guess. I have a geometry test tomorrow I have to study for so..." She trailed off in the hopes that her mother would take the hint and excuse her from the table, letting her hide out in her room to mope in all her glorious failure. Ikuko nodded and pardoned her, watching her daughter with hawk-like eyes as Usagi walked strangely out of the room and scampered up the stairs.

"There's something up with Usagi today" Ikuko frowned at her husband. Shingo just laughed,

"There's something _always_ up with Usagi. I'm just peeved that she got the day off. She looks fine to me now!"

Once upstairs, Usagi padded to her bedroom and plonked herself down on the bed. Leaning over and twirling the knobs on her radio, she tuned it onto the news station and lay back to listen to the headlines.

"-And the local shop owner saves the day!" The cheery male voice exclaimed through her speakers. Usagi's brows furrowed as she listened on about small-news items, concerned with the lack of major news but passed it off as a good thing. There was no need to worry about an attack until it happened - it wasn't worth the waste of energy, which would be required later. Usagi spent the next fifteen minutes laying in bed listening to the radio, but once the news had dried up and the latest Miley Cyrus hit began playing, she got up and went to her desk. Pulling out her maths textbook and flipping to the chapter on geometry, Usagi began her study.

Nothing pulled the blond out of her textbook for a solid hour – not even her mother peeking in with a concerned look and offering dessert, which Usagi surprisingly declined – until the distinct beeping of her communicator broke through her thoughts. Jumping up in alarm, Usagi dashed to her bedside table and grabbed the communicator. Pressing the green flashing Jupiter symbol and waiting as the screen transitioned from blank to her friend, Usagi held her breath.

"Usa!" Sailor Jupiter's face cried in relief. "Youma attack on Cherry Avenue!" Usagi nodded, needing no more said and broke the link. Ripping her broach off her school uniform that lay abandoned on the floor, Usagi jumped straight out her bedroom window and onto a thick branch of the tall oak tree close by. Dropping from the tree with more grace than usual, Usagi took one more look at the house before sprinting off down the drive. Turning at the mailbox and breaking out onto the street, Usagi sprinted down a block and a half before finding a dark and empty alleyway to transform in. Once the bright lights had faded from her eyes and she spun elegantly to a stop, Sailor Moon took off once again, dashing down the remaining half block.

When Sailor Moon skidded around the last corner, she immediately spotted where the fight was; who would be blind enough to miss the destroyed shopfront and shattered glass that sprinkled the pavement? As she neared the shop, she could hear her fellow Senshi yelling out orders and attacks, with hissing fireballs and sizzling electrical currents accompanying them every few seconds. Jumping over the jagged glass and straight through the empty windowfront, Sailor Moon arrived at the scene. Quickly assessing the youma – an ordinary- enough-looking human with nail guns for arms and covered in piercings – as quick and speedy, although reckless and a bit clumsy, Sailor Moon's eyes sought for Mercury. Running behind the counter on the eastern side of the room, she ducked and settled herself beside a startled Sailor Mercury.

"Where do I aim?" She asked urgently, before the Senshi of ice could even open her mouth. With one quick glance at her computer, Sailor Mercury pointed to the mapping of the youma's body.

"The left arm, but be careful; she shoots very quickly and very accurately."

Sailor Moon nodded to show she'd heard and understood before peeking above the counter at the monster. Said youma was just stomping around firing streams of what looked like sparkling diamonds anywhere and everywhere, without paying the slightest bit of caution to her surroundings. Sailor Moon could see it was getting dangerously close to cornering Sailor Venus and Sailor Mars by the display cabinets and decided to take action. Leaping over her cover that was the counter, Sailor Moon, skipping her usual speech simply cried

"MOON TIARA MAGIC!" and flung her weapon directly at the youma's outstretched arm. The youma had just enough time to look over its shoulder in terror before it was obliviated into hundreds and thousands of grains of sand, which piled neatly onto the floor. Invisible winds swept up the sand and soon after, there was left no trace of a youma ever have been standing there. Silence reigned for several moments as the heaving Senshi all looked between each other with wide eyes. Finally, it was Sailor Mars who found her voice.

"You," she breathed in wonder "saved us!"

Sailor Moon, preoccupied, looked Sailor Mars up and down for injuries before her eyes landed on the bleeding gash on the back of her arm.

"You're hurt!" She gasped, striding purposely over to her friend and examining the wound. When no one else moved to help, Sailor Moon rolled her eyes and ripped a portion of her skirt off, using it to tie a tourquinette above the gash.

"Mercury?" She called over her shoulder, waiting as the blue-clad soldier rose from her spot behind the counter and made her way over to them quickly. Raising Sailor Mars' arm up and tilting it for Sailor Mercury to inspect, Sailor Moon watched as her friend gingerly probed at the wound and assessed the damage. When something shiny glinted in Sailor Moon's peripheral vision, she snapped her head back to the wound and squinted.

"What is that?" She asked in a strangled voice, pointing to a row of sharp little diamonds embedded very deeply in Mars' arm. When the other Senshi all leaned in to look, Sailor Mars yelped and snatched her arm away.

"Are they" Sailor Moon gulped, "_earrings_?" Everyone looked at Sailor Mars.

"Don't take them out" She begged. "It's going to hurt like a -"

"Mars!" Sailor Moon commanded, cutting her off right before she could swear. Sighing, she walked back over to where her friend stood and laid a hand on her shoulder.

"Just hold still, we'll be very quick."

But Sailor Mars struggled in her grip. It was then that a booming, deep voiced sounded

"Need a hand there Sailor Moon?"

Sailor Venus shrieked in alarm and toppled over, whilst Sailor Mercury fumbled with her computer, catching it with the tips of her fingers before it hit the ground, and the entire group turned to see Tuxedo Kamen striding in with long, easy steps. He smiled easily at a frozen Sailor Moon before casting his eyes on the rest of the stunned Senshi.

"T...T...T..Tuxedo Kamen!" Sailor Moon managed to stutter out. Reaching up and tipping his hat to her, he inclined his head and asked politely

"Need some help?"

Sailor Moon's eyes flicked between Tuxedo Kamen and Sailor Mars, trying to decide how to approach the matter. She knew what he was asking, but she also knew why. He was letting her know that he was placing all his trust in her by allowing her to reveal to the other Senshi his secret healing powers – should she wish to. Sailor Moon bit her lip and mentally wailed at the situation she was in. She knew that as a leader she should be looking after her comrade first and foremost, but she also knew that Tuxedo Kamen was just as good of a friend as Sailor Mars was, and should anything happen that could jeopardise his relationship with the rest of the Senshi...

Suddenly remembering Sailor Mercury beside her, Sailor Moon whirled around, pointing a finger at her.

"Cast a fog" she commanded. When Sailor Mercury's brows furrowed, and she remained where she stood, Sailor Moon repeated the order with more authority. Sailor Mercury started, but did as she was told and brought forth the cool cover of her mercury bubbles. Once shrouded in cool haze, Sailor Moon darted forth and grabbed wildly for Tuxedo Kamen's hand, where it had last been. Locking onto his wrist, she spun around and worked her way back to Sailor Mars. She knew she was beside her friend when she could hear her friend snap

"What's all this for Moon? You just gonna leave us here are you? Well I can – hey!" Whatever Sailor Mars would have said was cut off abruptly as Sailor Moon clapped her hands over her friends eyes, and then as an afterthought, her mouth too. Sailor Moon reached out with her leg and lightly tapped what was clearly Tuxedo Kamen's foot, silently telling him to do his work.

He began quickly, and silently, working through the haze with his superhero heightened vision, which only he seemed to possess. He could feel Sailor Mars struggling in his grip as he plucked out the diamond studs one by one, throwing them over his shoulder as he went. He could also hear the beginnings of whining coming from the other Senshi, all directed at Sailor Moon.

"Why are we still here?" Complained Sailor Venus somewhere towards the back of the shop, where clunking of glass could be heard.

"Sailor Moon? Where are you – Oof!" Huffed the usually dignified Sailor Mercury as she soundly collided with a heavy body.

"You ok there Mercury?" Sailor Jupiter asked loudly in a light voice. Clearly she thought this was funny.

"Guys just shut up!" Hissed Sailor Moon as the bickering between the others began to grow. She cast her eyes to the shadowy figure of Tuxedo Kamen as he pulled out the last staple-like earring and threw it over her shoulder. Glancing behind him in both directions, and deciding he was in the all clear, he raised his hand again and let it hover above the open flesh. Sailor Moon felt his gaze on her, even though she could not see his face, let alone his eyes and gave a miniscle nod, just in case he could see her. She knew he had begun using his sparks when Sailor Mars began to wriggled under her hands.

Her panicked ramblings were still muffled by Sailor Moon's gloved hand, but she could make out what she was saying. She could feel the warm sensation spreading through her arm, clearly the golden magic. Giggling, Sailor Moon whispered

"It's ok Mars, I'm not hurting you" and her friend visibly relaxed.

When the dim glove beneath Tuxedo Kamen's covering hand disappeared, Sailor Moon felt him step back. Sailor Mercury's fog was beginning to thin, and she could make out his entire shape now. Jerking her head to the window, she signalled for him to wait for her out on the street and he tipped his hat once again. Silently creeping across the room and over the large, empty window frame, he disappeared from view.

"Mercury you can call back the fog now. It's ok, but I need to just check on something for a minute, I'll see you guys in a minute alright?"

Dashing off and leaping out the same exit, Sailor Moon met Tuxedo Kamen across the street and they both took off for the rooftop. It was a short journey, one that involved dumpers and large trucks, but soon they were standing above urban Juuban.

"Thank you for that" Sailor Moon said, looking up into Tuxedo Kamen's deep blue eyes.

Tuxedo Kamen bowed slightly and replied "thank you for trusting me enough to keep my secret. I know how much you place your trust in the rest of the Senshi, so it must have been hard."

Sailor Moon nodded, not quite hearing what he was saying. Her mind kept playing over her last encounter with him earlier that afternoon. And yet he'd still come to help when he'd felt her transform tonight.

"I'm sorry I was rude to you today." She whispered, lost in his gaze. Suddenly snapping out of it upon hearing her words, she added hastily "well no, rude doesn't cover it, I was a downright snob to you after the library incident this afternoon!"

Tuxedo Kamen, merely amused at the thought of Usagi actually apologising to him, Mamoru. 'A_lthough technically she isn't apologising to you, she's apologising to Tuxedo Kamen. If she knew it was you...'_ his brain reminded him, causing him to smile wryly. Sailor Moon took this as a bad sign and stepped back quickly.

"I know, I know, you were there for me when I was whining about life and being Sailor Moon and everything, I know! But it's just. Mamoru is a really touchy subject for me. He's not that nice, and if you knew him... Well, it wouldn't matter if you knew him because he's nice to everyone but me."

"Have you spoken to him yet?"

"Well...I saw him for a moment or two today. He seemed....." Sailor Moon struggled for the right word, so she lamely finished "weird."

Tuxedo Kamen raised an eyebrow. "Oh?"

"No! Not _weird _weird, just. Not himself! He was nice to me before I even got a chance to be nice to him and he called me Us- my real name instead of that stupid nickname and...hey are you ok?"

Sailor Moon's concerned face popped up right before Tuxedo Kamen's startled one and he smiled, gently pushing her back and patting her head.

"Come on, it couldn't have been that bad. How has everything else been going for you? I take it you haven't told any of the Senshi yet, have you?"

Sailor Moon rolled her eyes at the once again familiar know-it-all tone and retorted with hands on hips

"I'll have you know I _did_ tell someone today! I told Luna! And it felt very good! I feel much better!" She huffed, contradicting what she'd just said, but meaning it nevertheless. Tuxedo Kamen patted her between her odango's again and just smiled.

"Well in that case, I'd better head off. Don't want you skipping out on your Senshi now do we?"

"What? Then what was the point of this conversation?" Shrieked Sailor Moon loudly, throwing her hands up in the air. Her companion laughed as he neared the edge of the building.

"You're the one who initiated it."

"BECAUSE I THOUGHT YOU WERE GOING TO STAY AND SAY SOMETHING USEFUL!" Cried Sailor Moon as she waved her fist at the retreating hero's back. His deep, rumbling laugh was her only reply.

"Gah!" fumed Sailor Moon as she kicked at an imaginary pebble. She'd apologised to him, only to be a complete snob all over again. She really needed to work on her people skills.

"It's all Mamoru's fault!" She sighed, thinking of all the trouble he was causing her even when he _wasn't_ around.

Suddenly, a sizzling fireball flew past and exploded in the night sky. Sailor Moon's head snapped up. Following the smoky trail it left, she realised it was a sign from Sailor Mars, wanting her to go back and meet with them.

"Couldn't wait until tomorrow" She scoffed, making her way back down to the alleyway.

"Where did you go?" Sailor Mars' voice could be heard echoing throughout the whole street the minute they'd spotted her.

"I uh, thought I saw a General before, so I went to go check it out." She blatantly lied. The others seemed to believe her though, and nodded in approval, most surprised.

"Well done." praised Sailor Venus.

"Yeah, good thinking Moon." Winked Sailor Jupiter with thumbs up.

"That was very good initiative today Sailor Moon!" Beamed a proud Sailor Mercury

Everyone turned to look at Sailor Mars, who stood there blinking. Holding her previously injured aloft and examining it intently, she looked up and smiled tightly.

"You did very well today Sailor Moon. You were a good leader today."

That was pretty high praise for Sailor Mars.

Which made Sailor Moon suspicious.

Narrowing her eyes, she glanced at her friends with scepticism.

"All right, what's going on here?" She asked. The others all traded sidelong glances but remained poker faced.

"**Nothing!**"They all chimed together.

Oh yeah. Veeeery suspicious.

"Ahh look, so I don't have time for this right now" hedged Sailor Moon, wincing as she glanced at the nearby clock tower. "So whatever you're up to, drop it, ok? If there's anything you need to say or ask, do it now. I have a geometry test tomorrow and I need my sleep if I expect to be well rested to take it, mmkay?"

When no one said anything, or moved, Sailor Moon turned to make her way home when Sailor Mars cried out

"wait! What was that tonight?"

"What was what?" Sailor Moon asked, confused.

"That!" Cried Sailor Mars, waving her arm at the destroyed shopfront, where above the dangling banner declared JUUBAN PEIRCINGS ON CHERRY AV.!

"I knew what had to be done so I did it." Sailor Moon said blankly, not getting it. "But it was a team effort I would say" she added.

"Hey, how come no one's here yet?" Sailor Venus asked in the background, although no one payed her any attention. "Usually this place is swarming with civilians by now!" When she received no answer, she sighed. "Guess they're used to monsters from the Negaverse trashing their property by now anyway."

"What I am wondering," Sailor Moon said loudly "is why there were two attacks today. Are they trying to distract us or something?"

"Perhaps we should discuss this at a Senshi meeting?" Supplied Sailor Mercury, also glancing at the clock tower. "is 4 o'clock tomorrow alright?"

Sailor Moon nodded, eager to get home and waved to her team. "Gotta book it! See you then!" And bounded off.

Sailor Mars looked at the other three girls.

"Was that weird or _what_?"

XoXoX

This early Tuesday afternoon found Motoki several hours into his shift when the arcade door opened enthusiastically and a beaming Usagi strode into the arcade. Taking an order from a pimply freshman by the gaming machines, Motoki didn't notice Usagi until he turned around and nearly collided with her.

"Usa!" He exclaimed as he clutched his heart and stumbled back.

"Toki!" Cried Usagi as her blue eyes widened even further in excitement.

"Usa you scared me!" Laughed Motoki as he walked around her and motioned for her to follow him to the counter. Hopping up onto one of the stools, Usagi draped herself on the smooth surface and sighed

"oh Motoki you will never guess how perfect my day has been!"

"Oh?" Came a deep, haughty voice from behind her.

Usagi snapped back up, sitting stiffly in her stool as Mamoru sat down next to him.

"Afternoon Usagi-chan" he said politely to the girl next to him. Motoki froze where he stood at the ice cream machine, not noticing the ice cream pool out of the cone and spill onto his hand until it dripped on the floor with a loud "plop".

"Mamoru-san!" Usagi pasted on what she hoped was a believable smile. "How was your day today?"

"Uneventful" he shrugged, smiling at her. "And yours?" He enquired.

It took Usagi a moment to remember just why she'd come to the arcade to see Motoki. "Oh yeah!" Turning back to a stunned Motoki, she pulled her bag off the floor and plonked it on the counter. Both boys watched as she rifled through her things until she pulled out a laminated piece of paper.

"Look!" She cried, happily flinging it out of her bag. Motoki and Mamoru leaned in to read it, but couldn't see a thing, since the light was reflected off the plastic lamination.

"Give it here" said Mamoru as he took it from Usagi, ignoring her plead to be careful with it.

Mamoru held it aloft for himself and Motoki to read, and it took them a full ten seconds to realise what it was.

"Usa? You got full marks on your maths test? Well done!" Motoki beamed, handing the pimply kid his melting ice cream and turning to make Usagi a milkshake. "This deserves a little something _on the house!_"

"Oh Motoki! Thank you!" Usagi beamed back, before remembering who held her paper and slowly turned to Mamoru beside her.

"You did very well today Usagi-chan. I'm impressed. You probably spent hours studying didn't you?" Usagi didn't know if he was complimenting or insulting her, but his easy smile told her to take it in stride.

"I sure did Mamoru-san! And I owe it all to –" faltering, Usagi quickly recovered "me! I studied and studied and studied and studied and studied until my brains were going to explode! And I'm sure they did, somewhere around the theta angles section!" Usagi giggled, not believing her fortune. She'd had the best day already.

Zoning out from her conversation with Mamoru, Usagi recalled her good fortune. From the moment she'd woken up, she'd known that it was going to be a good day. Having been well rested enough to wake up well before her alarm clock, she had gotten to school before even Miss Haruna, saving her from a detention and getting her the best seat in the room...up the front. When Miss Haruna had walked in, _boy_ had she been shocked. Umino had been delighted at the thought of putting his newly acquired CPR skills into practice, but was sadly disappointed when Miss Haruna recovered from her shock and continued with the lesson plan.

After recess, Usagi had raced back to her seat, eager to take the test she was - for once - ready for. She had finished with fifteen minutes to spare, and had asked Miss Haruna to mark it while the rest of the class completed theirs; even Ami hadn't finished yet. Miss Haruna had gone through it twice, checking and rechecking her answers, before slyly peeking up to check the seating arrangement. Usagi was sitting between Naru –who was visibly struggling – and a window. Go figure. Miss Haruna had reluctantly given back the paper, having found nothing wrong with it and waited for the definite "YAHOO!" she was expecting. All she got was a quite, but happy "yes!" before Usagi returned to her seat.

By the time lunch rolled around, Usagi had been feeling pretty good about herself. Settling down by the big tree near the oval, she had been surprised yet again as Makoto informed her it was their friendship's three month anniversary and that she was glad Usagi was her best friend, before pressing a large homemade bento full of her favourite things into her hands. And whilst a confused, but cheerful Usagi had been munching on her lunch, Ami had surprised her by giving her a brand new diary for what she called 'new beginnings', also claiming if she ever had time, she'd love to study with her. How odd.

"And I'm sure you've earned it" Mamoru was finishing when Usagi snapped back to the present.

"I'm sorry?" She squeaked, embarrassed she hadn't heard a thing he'd said.

"Why is it laminated anyway?" Motoki asked as he placed a large, frothing chocolate milkshake in front of Usagi.

Blushing, she mumbled a reply that both boys had to lean in to hear.

"I ran into Umino in the library when I went to photocopy this for my parents. Just incase something happened to it."

"Well that makes sense!" Cheered Motoki, settling himself on his elbows on the counter. "I mean, it's always good to have a back up. For everything!"

"Like you have a backup for every recipe you own?" Mamoru asked with a raised eyebrow. When his friend stood up in panic he chuckled.

"What have you done with them Mamoru?'

"Nothing. Just making a point, is all."

Motoki left anywhere, mumbling about telling secret stashes to sneaky best friends and Mamoru turned to Usagi once more. "Well I convey my congratulations once again Usagi-chan, but I must be off." Bowing his head slightly, Mamoru began to retrieve his things.

"Wait!" Cried Usagi as she grabbed onto his arm.

Both Usagi and Mamoru stopped. '_What am I doing?' _Usagi panicked. '_Why did I do that?'_

'_What is Odango up to now?'_ Thought Mamoru curiously.

"I...just. I just wanted to know if you could stay longer Mamoru-san!" Blurted Usagi.

"Stay?" Mamoru repeated.

"Yeah! Like, to, um" Usagi wildly cast her eyes around the room. "To sit and talk! And, um, there!" She cried suddenly, pointing with her free hand at an empty booth.

"You want me to stay" Mamoru said slowly, "so we can talk?"

Usagi nodded, already imagining the praise Tuxedo Kamen would be giving her if he were here.

"Yeah! It's just. I know I'm not always that mature in your eyes, and I can be a bit of a child when it comes to conversations between us. But I just. I don't know. Thought we could talk? Civilly for once? Like... Maybe even like friends?"

Mamoru could see how nervous Usagi was, and although he did have to get going if he wanted to get his coffee at the supermarket before the stock ran out – Mamoru's coffee was on special today – he could see that if he rejected her offer, she might not be brave enough to attempt another one. And he did want to talk to Usagi. Like a friend. He wanted her to see the side of him that she never did see. The softer side. The vulnerable side.

"Sure" he said, delighting internally and knowing he'd done the right thing as her grin widened. "Why not?"

Grabbing her milkshake and bag, and snatching up her beloved test, Usagi sang "let's go bond Mamoru-san!" before skipping her way to the booth and plonking herself down on the squishy seat.

"Yeah yeah" Mamoru rolled his eyes playfully, before striding up to the table and sliding into the booth himself.

* * *

R&R you say? I would _love_ some R&R! Oh, you meant rest and relax.... I meant read and review! XD

xoxo


	5. It's Setsuko!

Got my stiches out on Thursday peoples. Isn't that totes kawaii? Mmm I thought so too.

Sorry to those readers that I promised this would be out by Tuesday at the latest; in my defence, I was already 4 pages in when I told you that, so I thought it would happen too. But alas, it took me until 1.28AM this morning to finish the chapter, because who knew writing a gritty youma scene could be hard? Hard as in, working on a revelation that hasn't been done 10, 000 times? I didn't think so. Gah.

Disclaimer you say? Who says you get a disclaimer? I don't discriminate between ownership and borrowing. If I ruled the world, I would own everything! Like....Sailor Moon for example. But for now, I will remain covetting the possession of rights to said awesomeness.....

* * *

"And then, would you believe it, she pulled out a hairdryer and turned it on the intruder!" Usagi laughed, wiping tears from her eyes as she tried to collect herself. "And it was only Yuichiro trying to climb in through the window! Because she'd forgotten that'd she'd locked him out!" Both booth occupants cracked up once again, with Usagi imitating Rei brandishing a hairdryer like a gun.

After the laughter had subsided, and both were able to breathe again, Mamoru sighed in contentment. _How_ he'd ever found this girl insufferable was beyond him. For the past few days they'd been spending long afternoons together in the arcade and talking about their days –including many frequent anecdotes about their friends – and it had almost become habit. Both knew that they preferred this new, quickly familiar routine more than their previous bump-and-argue one, but neither admitted it. The first few days had been awkward and slow, but after they had discovered they had many things in common, they'd hit if off really well. Usagi's reckless and often wild daily adventures balanced out Mamoru's structured and ordered days nicely, and vice versa.

Although neither would admit it out loud but they were quickly becoming friends. And each secretly liked that.

"Has Rei always been like that?" Mamoru asked as he grabbed a handful of fries from the plate they'd ordered together.

Usagi, for her part grabbed a fistful herself and popped them in her mouth before chewing on them thoughtfully. Gulping the large lump down her throat she replied.

"Well, she was always like that, even right from the start, when I met her. But I think once you get to know her, she becomes slightly less scary. _Slightly._" She emphasised as an afterthought.

Mamoru nodded, grinning as he grabbed his iced coffee. Something about the girl sitting opposite him had given him a sweet tooth, and he'd forgone his usual strong black coffee for something much sweeter and lighter.

"Can you remember what we were like a month ago today?" She sighed, as her thoughts strayed.

Mamoru shuddered mentally at the thought of heading down memory lane and quickly said, "Yeah, you were a real brat, you know that?"

"Hey! I was only like that because – oh I get it... You're teasing me. Because you think it's FUNNY to make me mad!"

Damn. He knew he shouldn't have told her that.

"So how's school going? Grade wise I mean." He quickly changed the topic.

Usagi shrugged happily, cramming a few more fries into her mouth.

"I'm much more organised now than I used to be, so I've been studying here and there when I can. I mean, things still go way over my head alot, but I find if I just get straight to the point with things, I don't have to waste excess energy. You know what I mean?"

Mamoru nodded, marvelling at how in the space of a week and a half, Sailor Moon had halved the time it usually took to take a youma down. She was now ordering her Senshi into positions or teaming them up and using them as double attacks, which had increased not only their confidence, but also their teamwork skills.

"I know what you mean." He agreed, head bobbing. "Hey, here's a thought. If you ever need...I don't know, help or something, with your homework...You know...Feel free to ask me. I wouldn't mind."

"You mean tutor me?" She gaped at him, appalled.

"No no no no no," he quickly assured her, feeling he had insulted her in some way. "No, I just mean. Like. Study buddies or something. Like what friends would be."

"Oh." She said as it dawned on her what he'd meant. "Um, yeah. That sounds fun. That's really nice of you. Thank you Mamoru!"

Mamoru smiled easily at her and they ate in comfortable silence for several more minutes. All too soon, Usagi glanced at her watch and smiled apologetically at Mamoru. It was time for her to leave.

"I've got to go," she muttered, knowing he wouldn't ask where she was going.

"Say hi to the girls for me," he nodded, also knowing she wouldn't do so.

"Good luck on that science test tomorrow Mamoru, I know you'll ace it!"

"Bye Odango," he winked, now knowing that she couldn't get mad at him for that. Rolling her eyes at him, she pegged her last fry at his head before quickly skipping out of the arcade.

Mamoru watched Usagi through the window as she scampered across the road and down the street until she was out of sight. He knew she was off to a Senshi meeting.

XoXoX

"Good afternoon my fellow friends! Usagi is here!" Usagi announced unnecessarily as she threw open the door to the meeting. Rei looked up from where she kneeled pouring the tea.

"You're early," she grumbled.

"And proooouuuuddd of it!" Usagi trilled back. "Here, let me help you!" Usagi rushed forward and took the tea pot from Rei's hands, ignoring her 'hey!' and began to finish pouring the drinks herself.

"You host these meetings Rei, you shouldn't do all the work!"

"Damn right I shouldn't!" snapped Rei, although without the usual fire she had used previously. Over the last week, since Luna's little talk with them, Rei had really seen what difference had come over her friend. Usagi was changing, and it unnerved Rei. But she couldn't change her behaviour so soon, or Usagi would get suspicious. Luna had informed the Senshi that Usagi now confided in her daily, telling her of her fears from that day's battle, how she was glad her school work was improving, how it was weird – but appreciated – that her friends were treating her with more respect; and Rei was glad. Usagi was maturing, and she wouldn't have even noticed.

"We're here!" Announced a slightly puffed Minako as she and Makoto stepped through the door. "Ami says she's on her way."

"No need, I'm here," a slightly flushed Ami said, ducking in behind them.

"Damn girl, you are _fast_!" Makoto whistled, folding her large frame onto a cushion.

"Makoto, are you sure you're comfortable like that?" Usagi asked, biting her lip as she watched her friend.

"What?" Makoto asked. "Am I? Oh, you mean here? Well, yeah, I'm alright." She waved her hand in an unconcerned manner.

"No Makoto, I think you should sit on the bed, or on the bean bag. It looks bad for your posture, not to mention uncomfortable bending over the way you are." Usagi insisted. Makoto looked up, ready to repeat that she was fine, but the concern in her friends eyes made her stop. It was annoying being so tall when sitting at a little table, and Usagi was only thinking of what was best for her.

"Alright," she grinned, rolling her eyes and getting up. Grabbing the nearest beanbag and slumping into it effortlessly, Makoto sighed. "Ahhh that's better!"

Usagi nodded in a satisfied way and jumped on the bed, rolling onto her stomach and staring at the other occupants of the room.

"So I had this theory last night, that the Negaverse are trying to wear us out. Not just for obvious reasons, but maybe, I dunno. I got the feeling that they're up to something. Much more than just gathering energy. Has anyone else noticed that we haven't seen Zoisite in like three weeks? They're not even bothering to send their Generals anymore, and they're not attacking public places. I don't know, maybe I'm just being silly. Thoughts?"

"I myself, have the feeling that something hasn't been right the last two or so weeks." Agreed Rei as she nodded. "I tried to ask the Great Fire, but it wouldn't give me anything."

"Were you being specific or did it just not give you anything?" Usagi asked, interested.

"Well no, I sought after a whole bunch of different leads, but they kept coming back to the same thing. Nothing!"

Ami, who had previously been thinking suddenly perked up.

"Could it be possible that they're just -" Ami paused, shaking her head. "No, that's not it."

"What is it Ames?" Usagi asked from the bed.

Blushing, Ami mumbled, "Maybe they have a new target. They've put off gathering energy until they can get us so highly strung that we'll do something extreme. Like follow them to their base!"

Everyone else blinked, not quite knowing what to say.

"I don't think that's what they're trying to do Ami." Minako said, patting the girl besides her shoulder. "My, for a regular genius, you sure are a little off the plot today."

"And you're not?" Challenged the embarrassed Ami.

"Nope! It's just my way of life."

"And you don't think that they're just trying to wear us down or anything?" Usagi asked loudly, drowning out Mina's reply. "Make us too weary to fight?"

"Well they can't just keep sending out youmas all the time. It must be costing them numbers too!" Makoto put her two cents in.

Nodding, the group all fell silent, trying to think of a plausible excuse as to why they would be receiving more than usual amounts of attacks. A minute or so into the silence however, a beeping pattern broke out, alerting everyone in the room to its presence.

XoXoX

The screaming of the heroine from the movie echoed loudly across the mostly empty carpark. Drive ins, not exactly known to be popular, were the perfect places to watch horror films and make out in the front seat of the car. At least, that's what this couple thought.

"Jiro…" moaned Setsuko in between kisses as she moved even closer to her boyfriend of three days.

"Nami…" he moaned in response.

"It's Setsuko," she reminded him absently as he moved closer, until they were pressed up against each other, hands roaming, mouths clashing. So caught up in each other, neither noticed the looming shadow creeping their way.

"Hold it right there Negatrash!" Yelled a determined voice out of the darkness.

The bright spotlights of the drive-in suddenly blazed to life, throwing the carpark into sudden blinding radiance.

Both occupants of the car sprang apart and shielded their eyes as the onslaught of light attacked their pupils. Between the gap in his fingers, Jiro could see five dark silhouettes framed in the spotlight's beam. Lowering his arm cautiously and squinting through the light, he watched as they jumped down from an impossible height, and managed to land with grace.

"It's the Sailor Senshi," his companion breathed in amazement.

They watched as the group quickly split up, sprinting in multiple directions and surrounding the area. It was only _then_ that the couple noticed the monster in the middle of the carpark.

Both occupants of the car screamed in terror, and Jiro dived for the keys dangling in the ignition. And in true, typical horror film style, the car stalled. That's right. They were caught up in a youma battle.

Both lunged for the doors, leaping out and running behind the car. Stupidly, they forgot to keep their mouths shut and ended up catching the youma's attention.

It was an ugly one. Perhaps the least human looking one the Senshi had seen yet. It looked like an unhealthy werewolf, yet still snarled viciously. It was almost ironic how much the creature looked like it belonged in the movie playing forgotten in the background. A loud, blood-curdling screech made its way past its throat and resounded across the whole area.

Stalking with sure steps towards its prey, Senshi forgotten, the youma raised a mangled and furry arm at the terrified girl and blasted a wave of energy at her, throwing her powerfully back into the mesh fence. Her limp body twisted into the fence and did not move, making the Senshi quick to attack.

"MERCURY BUBBLE BLAST!" Cried Sailor Mercury from one side of the lot, aiming her hands towards the youma and sending it and the human civilians into a thick, distorted fog. Sailor Mars sprang out from her position and lunged for the stricken girl, bundling her in her arms and sprinting off before the youma could react. Sailor Jupiter jumped onto the roof of the car, yanking the cowering boy up with her before spurring back into hiding. The youma, for its part, roared in fury at no one in particular, and Sailor Moon chose this as a wise time to attack.

"Mercury!" She called, signalling her friend to call back her attack. Like an air vacuum, all the fog suddenly disappeared, leaving the lot with nothing but a faintly cold air to it. Sailor Moon's eyes darted around for the youma, calculating the furthest distance it could have gone while it had been distracted. What couldn't have been more than a couple of yards away, Sailor Moon paused. Wait, wasn't the youma just over there?

"Sailor Moon!" A deep voice called, as something whistled past her ear, piercing the ground behind her. Sailor Moon spun around just in time to see the youma halt in its advancing steps.

The youma roared furiously and charged once again, dropping down on all fours and racing towards a stunned Sailor Moon. Sailor Moon stood her ground and snatched up her tiara, ready to attack when disaster struck.

The youma was too close.

It leapt for her, and her knees buckled in fear as she spotted the gleaming, large white teeth that snarled at her, closing the gap between them. Slamming her eyes shut, Sailor Moon felt something heavy collide with her – hard, sending her to the ground. Winded and spitting out dust from her mouth, she struggled to breath as she desperately tried to clear her dazed mind. A deafening roar sounded close by and she turned her head minutely to stare in horror at her assailant.

But all she saw was black.

Another deafening roar was cut short by a loud cracking sound, and the black enigma shifted. It was Tuxedo Kamen's cape! Sailor Moon, still winded, slowly turned to her side, and shuffled backwards on her elbows. Now that she could see what was happening, she realised once again, she was being saved by the mysterious hero. His cane beat back the snarling wolf thing and he groaned as it forced itself further onto him.

He had the upper hand, it looked like. The youma was getting angrier and angrier by the second at being held back. Then one long, furry arm swiped blindly under the cane that was serving as a barrier and struck Tuxedo Kamen in the chest. He fell, landing with a yelp as the youma seized its chance and pounced on him.

Sailor Moon could take it no longer. She would not let him get hurt any further because of her. Sucking in all the air she could, Sailor Moon got to her knees and tapped the jewels in her odango's.

"HEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEY!"

Dropping to her hands and knees again, Sailor Moon looked up to see the youma staring at her with large, greedy eyes.

"Over....here," she panted, trying desperately to breathe again.

The youma leapt over it's weakened prey and started for her. Dodging the fireballs and laser beams of light aimed its way, it bounded to Sailor Moon and sunk it's teeth right into her thigh.

Sailor Moon was knocked to the ground, and cried out in pain as she arched against the youma clamping down even further on her leg. It turned it's hungry, blood thirsty eyes to hers and it almost seemed to smile at her – in an evil way. Stalking slowly around her, it looked as if it was deciding where next to attack. Without warning, it lunged and sank it's teeth into her side, ripping apart her fuku and flesh, spilling blood everywhere. Positioning itself for further access, it stepped on her already mauled leg and pressed down.

But Sailor Moon could not move any further. Her breath was coming in short, painful pants, and her eyes were losing focus fast. The rapid bleeding from both wounds pooled around her, until her entire fuku was drenched.

She could hear her fellow comrades screaming for her, but couldn't figure out why they weren't helping. Maybe it had gotten them too. Sailor Moon's eyes began to lose focus entirely when a sickening slicing sound pierced through the air. The pressure from her leg lifted and Sailor Moon raised a dazed head to see what was happening. The youma lay beside her, writhing in agony as it tried to gnaw at a rose imbedded in its shoulder – which it could not reach.

Tuxedo Kamen stumbled blindly to his feet, golden sparks shooting all around him as he staggered over to the fallen soldier beside the youma. His heart sped up as he saw the young heroine lying in a pool of blood... A _large_ pool of blood.

"Sailor Moon!" He gasped, tripping on his own two feet and falling beside her. His hands hovered unsurely above her, flittering from one injury to another. Panicking when he saw her eyes begin to close, he leapt into action, gripping her open side wound and willing it to heal, amidst her violent struggles. While she thrashed about under his steady hands, the skin began to stretch again until it grew back together, good as new under the bloody tatters of her fuku. Moving on to her thigh, he once again held it in place and worked his magic until her skin closed up and the freefalling blood crystallised beneath his hands.

Eyes snapping back to her face, he was started to see her eyes focused entirely on his. Leaning back he offered her a hand but she avoided his eyes, looking somewhere over his left shoulder. Opening his mouth to ask if she was alright, Tuxedo Kamen felt her hands on his chest and was pushed backwards. Spitting back the dust that kicked up around his face, Tuxedo Kamen could only stare as the youma lay once again over Sailor Moon, only this time it wasn't moving. Crawling back over to her, he saw her eyes wide with fear as the large wolf constricted her lungs and lay crushing her into the ground.

Grabbing the thing by it's shoulders he hauled it off her and threw it to the ground with all his remaining strength. Sailor Moon sat up quickly, before her hands flew to her head and she nearly fell back down again. Tuxedo Kamen was right there with her though, supporting her from the side.

"You know what you've got to do" he murmured apologetically, looking on in sympathy as she nodded in resignation.

Both leant on each other for support as they stood and looked around for the rest of the Senshi. When Sailor Moon gasped, Tuxedo Kamen followed her gaze to see the four girls tied together. Gripping a rose in his sub space pocket, Tuxedo Kamen threw the rose haphazardly at the rope, but missed in his weakness and ended up cutting Sailor Mercury's arm. Her small cry was carried in the air as Sailor Moon and Tuxedo Kamen realised all was quiet. The unnatural kind. Even the movie had stopped playing. Had it finished?

"Well, I can't say I'm all too pleased with the way this turned out," a sour male voice sighed from behind them. Whipping around quickly, with Sailor Moon almost tripping in the process, the couple stood face to face with what looked like a lion tamer from a circus. In his hands, he tapped a folded whip in one palm, tilting his head at the remaining defenders.

"You killed Aslan," he said, nodding his head behind them. Sailor Moon turned her head minutely at the wolf as it lay in the dirt, it's breath laboured. "Well, he's as good as dead now," amended the man, suddenly shooting a blast of energy towards the creature, and they all watched as the wolf dissolved in a flurry of bright light.

"I could say the same about you two," he continued good naturedly, as if he were simply commenting on the weather in a friendly conversation. "Look at you, beaten, exhausted and looking worse for wear. How do you ever expect to beat me now?"

"We're not going to beat you," Sailor Moon told him as she brushed her bangs from her sweaty brow.

"We're going to destroy you," Tuxedo Kamen informed him.

"MOON TIARA MAGIC!" Sailor Moon suddenly cried as she hurled her tiara into the man's stomach. His shocked expression was the last they saw of him as he too disappeared in a blinding flash of light –much like his wolf had- until all that remained was a lone whip, which disintegrated the moment it hit the ground.

Both Tuxedo Kamen and Sailor Moon stood speechless as they blinked at the ground.

"What just happened?" Sailor Moon asked to no one in particular.

"Why was it that easy?" Tuxedo Kamen asked the same non-existent person.

"My god Moon! Are you ok?!" Sailor Mars' voice shrieked from a distance. Sailor Moon turned just in time to see her friends climb out of the binding rope, which now looked more like the whip it had once been. Once Mars was free, she turned and grabbed the rope, disintegrating it with a handheld flame. The others sighed in relief and began to walk over to their leader.

"He got us!" Sailor Jupiter bellowed in disbelief. "He got us with his whip, and we had to WATCH you get mauled to death!"

"It was horrible," nodded Sailor Venus behind her.

"Good thing Tuxedo Kamen was here to help you Sailor Moon. It looked so, so bad," Sailor Mercury agreed, for once not sounding like her proper self.

"So was the youma the wolf thing or the dude?" Sailor Venus wondered out loud in the back.

Sailor Moon swayed unsteadily on her feet, blinking as the adrenaline drained from her body, leaving her weak and drowsy.

"You've lost a lot of blood!" realised Tuxedo Kamen, stepping forward with ready arms in case she fell. Sailor Moon gave him a weak smile and shook her head, instead letting her Senshi surround her and check her for her injuries.

"You healed her," accused Sailor Jupiter, pointing a finger at him. "I saw gold!"

Sailor Moon paled and tried to backtrack. "No, no no no no –"

"Yes I did. Sailor Moon covered for me during the last time I had to use it," he smirked at the suspicious Sailor Mars who blinked when she realised what he meant, "but don't worry. She's never lied to you."

"We weren't even thinking that, _retard_!" Sailor Venus rolled her eyes. "We're glad she's ok! And it's to you we should be than- Sailor Moon? Sailor Moon?!"

Sailor Moon was visibly struggling to stay upright, and her form began to flicker between egos as her energy reserve plummeted.

Usagi. Sailor Moon. Usagi. Sailor Moon. Usagi. Sailor Moon. Usagi. Sailor Moon. Usagi. Sailor Moon.

Usagi.

Her Senshi screamed as their leader's identity was revealed and dived for her; surrounding her from all angles should anyone else be watching. But their wary eyes were on Tuxedo Kamen.

No. Mamoru Chiba.

Eyes bulging, the group leant forward as one, giving a break in between Sailor Mars' and Sailor Venus' shoulders, which allowed Usagi to see.

"What? What's everyone" Usagi too leant forward, peering through the gap her Senshi had accidentally made and gasped.

"Mamoru?" She asked quietly, pushing her way through her friends.

When the Senshi began to protest, Usagi waved them off in a distracted manner, and they retreated to hide around the lot, least anyone suspect that the two civilians here were really the missing superheros from the group.

When it looked like they were alone, Usagi murmured, "No." Shaking her head, she continued, "it can't be you. You're not him. You're not him. It's not you!" As she persisted to deny him, Mamoru reached out a hand.

"Your transformation triggers mine Usagi. Everytime. When you turn into Sailor Moon, I turn into Tuxedo Kamen." Watching as she continued to shake her head, he kept going. "I don't know why. I've never known why. But when you transform, you make me transform with you." Usagi took an unsteady step back, and Mamoru followed. "You've lost a lot of blood. You're weak. So it's only natural you must have dropped your transformation. It's probably what triggered mine. Because you unwilling detransformed."

"No!" She gasped again, as the full realisation hit her. "It can't be_ you_. It **can't be**!" Fumbling with her broach, Usagi muttered the henshin words, but there were no dancing lights, no materialising feathers and certainly no fuku.

"As I said Usagi, you're too weak right now. You're drained - I don't even know how you can even stand right now, and yet you are!"

"No." She interrupted him determinedly. "You cannot be him. You aren't Tuxedo Kamen... You just swapped places with him! Tonight. Just then. When I couldn't see." She was being childish, and silly she knew, but there was an explanation to all this that she just hadn't thought of yet.

Mamoru smiled a sad smile at her. "You and I both know that's not what you think Usagi."

Usagi rocked on her heels for a moment, and bit by bit, the glamour began to fall away, and she could see that Mamoru was who he said he was.

"I TOLD YOU EVERYTHING!" Usagi suddenly exploded. "I told you _everything_, and you knew who I was the whole time! That night, in the docks, you must have realised EXACTLY who I was! Why didn't you say something?" Stomping in fury, Usagi yanked at her pigtails. "Why didn't you _say_ something?! Were you laughing at me the entire time? I bet you were. Listening to me whine about everything!" Usagi wiped furiously at the traitorous tears that were beginning to run down her face, but then gave up and let them fall freely. "Were you laughing the whole time? Behind my back, when you got home? Hearing about another thing Odango couldn't do right? How I even suck at being a _superhero_? Or were you pretending to be my friend, and waiting until I gave you something you could use against me?"

Mamoru's heart began to fissure, cracking in places he hadn't felt in a long time.

"Well. I guess I gave you everything you needed, didn't I? You have verbal ammunition for life."

"Usagi" he started slowly. As he reached for her, Usagi suddenly collapsed, crumpling onto the ground in a dusty heap.

When Mamoru dived for her, he was knocked back by Sailor Jupiter.

"I think you've done enough Mamoru-san," she told him coldly.

"I...I...But I..."

"**I think **you've done _enough_." She repeated forcefully.

Mamoru backed away as he watched Sailor Mars and Sailor Mercury pick up the very pale Usagi. She couldn't have held on for much longer by the looks of it anyway.

She just couldn't have fainted _before_ he'd been exposed.

As the Sailor Senshi carried their friend out of the drive in lot - with Sailor Venus shoving the two unconscious civilians back in their car and sticking the key in the ignition – Mamoru could only watch as the light of his life was taken away from him.

OoOoO

Jiro awoke from his spot in the driver's seat, rubbing his sore forehead which had been resting on the driving wheel and looked around. The movie had ended, probably hours ago by the looks of it, and the parking lot looked like a mess. He faintly remembered a strange animal lurking around the lot. Panicked, he shot a glance at the girl in the car with him, who he was sure had been hurt outside the car somehow. How his head throbbed though! He couldn't think straight.

A groaning beside him alerted the awakening of his passenger.

"Haruma, what happened?" He asked wildly.

A few more groans later, and the pained voice replied "I don't know.... And the name is Setsuko."

"Whatever," Jiro said, looking around. Who cared what she was called?

"Were the Sailor Senshi here? Or was that just a dream?" She asked him. Feeling the bump on the back of her head, she added, "and how were we both asleep?"

"Don't know." Came the short, terse reply. Scowling, Setsuko suddenly spotted the scarlet puddle under the bright lights.

"They were here!" She gasped, pointing to the puddle, where shoeprints of the same colour could be seen walking away from it.

Jiro had a feeling he hadn't been quite the brave male in the scenario and brushed her off.

"Pipe down Toshi, I'm trying to think."

"It's Setsuko!" she fumed, crossing her arms.

"Whatever," he repeated in a bored voice as he turned the key in the ignition, ready to drive them home.

"There! Look! Can't you see there was obviously something here before! Do you remember a lion, or a bear, or a wolf or something?"

"No." The car pulled up at the ticket booth to find it empty. Shrugging, Jiro turned and soon they were travelling down the main road.

"Fine" Setsuko sniffed. "But I'll still be telling everyone you screamed like a girl and left me though."

* * *

Dun dun duuuuun! Didn't you just love Jiro and Sumo? *Author ducks from flying dart* "It's Setsuko!" : Such comic relief. Such motivation...... Children, do you know how long it took me to write this? R&Ring makes me feel appreciated ^_^ Hint hint.

Also if anyone here as LJ, I suggest you add me - because I want more friends. And I update fairly reguarly, with 90% of posts referring to ITD. Link on profile


	6. Prove It

AN: Windy day today :) ONE CHAPTER TO GO FOLKS! ^_^

Thanks to Kaitlyn Fall who had a read through and smoothed down a few ruffled feathers ;) Huzzuh!

Disclaimer: Ailor-say Moon-ay ixney own-ay (my attemp at pig latin - anyone who can speak it, did I say it write?)

* * *

Mamoru groaned as he slammed his empty mug down. He was such an idiot! How could he have not foreseen what would happen? Had he really expected her to never discover his identity? What would he have done then? Break it to her gently and whip out a rose as proof? No. Usagi was too angry with him now. Would she ever speak to him again?

But he supposed he deserved it - the silent treatment. He hadn't seen her in days, and yet whilst he ached to see her and talk to her; he knew he shouldn't. He could see where she'd been coming from. After all, he'd been nothing but an outright jerk to her since the moment they'd met. Of course she'd feel betrayed. Of course she'd feel hurt. He now looked like an even bigger jerk for holding back and keeping her in the dark about who he was.

Once again, he'd been kept up all night by the intriguing Sailor Moon. Striding around his large, empty apartment in agitation, Mamoru could not settle in one room for too long. A brief venture into the kitchen led to a short sojourn in the bedroom. A quick shower in the ensuit took him to the leather couch in the lounge. A pit stop on the balcony had him up to the roof in seconds. A minute on the roof had him running across the lengths of Tokyo – in a cape and top hat.

Mamoru – now Tuxedo Kamen – ran flat out for several minutes, his many thoughts occupying his mind; so it came as a surprise to him when he doubled over, huffing and puffing on a local fruit produce's roof to spot the arcade two streets away. The sun was only just beginning to rise, and yet the dazzling view held no beauty for him this time. Looking around to make sure no one was watching, he dropped onto the fire escape and dashed his way down. Once hidden behind a large garbage dumpster, Tuxedo Kamen destransformed into Mamoru, with a wry smile at the memory of the last time he'd detransformed and strode onto the street. It was early still, but shop owners and dog walkers alike were up and alive, some chattering lightly with each other as they passed, others looking disgruntled and sleepy as they stacked fresh produce onto tall shelves. Spying Motoki across the road, who was whistling and swinging a set of keys around his finger, Mamoru crossed over and followed his friend.

As Motoki happily strode up to the arcade doors, he felt a shadow behind him – which was ridiculous since the sun was barely up. Faltering in his steps, he sucked in a large lungful of air and swung around holding the arcade keys threateningly in his fist.

"**AHH**!" Both Mamoru and Motoki cried.

Motoki lowered his raised fist and blinked.

"Mamoru?"

Mamoru peeked through his shielding arms and lowered them too.

"Motoki what are you doing?"

"Geez I thought you were some psycho!"

"Since when has Tokyo been known for stalking psycho's at," Mamoru checked his watch, "half past six in the morning?"

"Well I don't know!" cried Motoki, waving his hands in the air, the keys swinging dangerously close to Mamoru's face.

"So how come you're opening up then?" Mamoru asked, bemused by his friends cheeriness at such an early hour – but then again, it _was_ Motoki.

"Traded dad my Saturday shift for today since I don't have any classes again. Now I have the weekend to look forward to!" Motoki slowly turned, halfway through unlocking the door.

"Hey, how come you're here? It's like… six in the morning on a school day. How strange Mamoru. How strange..."

Mamoru shrugged, deflecting the suspicious stare of his friend with an unconcerned air.

"Oh you know. I was just...jogging. Early morning jogging. It's good for the heart, heh, you know?"

"Right. Well. Do you want to come in for a coffee then? While I open up?"

Blinking, Mamoru realised it would be too suspicious if he declined, so, preoccupied thoughts and all, he nodded stiffly and stepped through the now open automatic doors.

"So what can I do you for this morning, my friend?" Motoki called cheerfully over his shoulder as he made his way to the counter. Mamoru slid into a stool opposite his friend as he pulled out an empty mug and set it on the counter before turning the coffee machine on.

Mamoru was deep in thought, pondering over the present situation.

Usagi. She was hurt. Angry. She had every right to be. But if she would just listen....If she would just hear him out. He'd wanted to patch things up with her. He just wanted to be friends with her. He just wanted her to see him in a different light. He just wanted... Her.

"Say Motoki," he heard himself say slowly, before his brain could even stop him. "You know a vast amount about the female population and their inner workings... and you are probably brimming to the top with useful knowledge, right?"

Motoki slowed his actions down and blinked.

"Is this about Usa?" he asked seriously.

_No_. "Yes."

"Ah." Motoki sighed, nodding in understanding. "You've told her how you feel about her."

_It's not what you think_! "No. I lied to her. And she took it pretty bad. Understandably," he added, sighing as he spun the mug around on the counter. What complete déjà vu.

"So you...didn't tell her how you feel, but instead managed to make her mad again? Mamoru I just don't understand you sometimes! It's like one minute you're this great guy, and then the minute she shows up, poof, you're the epitome of a jerk." Picking the mug up and taking it over to the coffee machine, the blond continued. "It's like… it's like you somehow think that by aggravating her, you'll get her attention. But buddy, you've always had it." Handing the steaming mug back to his friend, he put his Crown Arcade apron on.

"I didn't mean to this time though," Mamoru muttered darkly. "I just wanted her to like me for me."

"What do you mean?"

"I uh, I..." Mamoru thought quickly. Damn Motoki for always making him blurt things out. "I just meant, I was trying to show her that I'm not always like how I am around her. And it sort of backfired."

Motoki began powering up the game machines on the other side of the arcade.

"I know what you mean!" he called back. "I remember when Rita caught me pretending to know how to fix a jammed tap! Boy was that not the result I was aiming for... But I'm sure it's okay Mamoru, after all, Rita and I still got together."

"Yeah, I'm sure you're right." Mamoru placated, eager to change the topic before he ended up blurting everything out.

"You know, I hear roses work wonders with girls when they're mad at you."

XoXoX

"Usa! Time to rise and shine! Usa? – Oh not again." Ikuko placed her hands on her hips and stared at her pale daughter sleeping under the thick, bunny-splattered doona.

"What is up with you lately missy? Why do you look half dead again?" Walking up to Usagi's bed, Ikuko placed the back of her hand against her daughter's forehead. "This is the second time this month! Darling, are you sick again?" When she got no answer, she called louder. "Darling?"

Usagi moaned and opened her eyes with great strength.

"Mum?"

"Usa, what have you been doing? First you disappear in the middle of dinner, then you hardly touch a thing on your plate, and now you wake up looking like a zombie? That's it. We're taking you to the doctors."

Usagi's eyes widened in fear. "No mum! I'm fine! Really! I think I just must have caught a stomach bug at school or something. Really. I swear. I just need a day in bed, that's all! Please mum, don't take me to the doctors!"

Ikuko froze. Usagi was pale white and ice cold, but she'd still managed to have enough energy to refuse a doctor's appointment? How concerning. Quite suddenly, she began lashing out.

"I just don't get you anymore Usagi. You're sick, you're not sick. You're studying, you're not studying. You're friends are here, you're out with your friends. You're eating, you're not eating. Your father and I are very worried. It's like you're a whole new person these days."

Usagi lay immobilised in the bed, half raised on her elbows. "Wha...?"

"If you want to stay in bed when it's clear that you're sick, then _fine_. Stay there. But don't expect me to be getting you anything."

Ikuko stormed out, slamming the door loudly behind her. Usagi could only stare after her, mortified. _What just happened_?

"Mum?" Scrambling out of the tangle of blankets, Usagi stumbled out of bed. "Mum? Ahh!"

*Thump*

"Usagi! Are you alright?" Luna, who had just jumped in through the open window, was by Usagi's side in seconds. "Usagi what are you doing out of bed? Didn't your mother let you stay home? Usagi, answer me!" She was just about to claw at the back of the blond's head when Usagi moaned into the carpet.

"What is going on?" Usagi muttered into the floor.

"Usagi get up. Get back into bed!" Luna advised sternly. She moved back as Usagi got to her feet very slowly and collapsed back on the mattress.

"You look exhausted," commented Luna as she peered at the girl clumsily trying to find her way back under the blankets.

"And I feel it," Usagi groaned back, giving up on the blankets and just lying on top of her doona.

"Ami told me what happened last night," Luna said, as if explaining where she'd just been.

A slight groan told her Usagi understood. Carefully walking around the girl, Luna lay down gently next to her ward and curled up. She wanted to bring up the Tuxedo Kamen dilemma, but didn't want to stress Usagi out further.

"Usagi, we're going to have to talk about it eventually," she said softly.

"I lost a lot of blood Luna, there's not much to talk about," Usagi's muffled reply came from under her arm.

"Not that. About Mamoru-san."

Usagi's eyes snapped open with a burst of energy, before closing again in defeat.

"Nothing...to talk...about," she muttered softly as she began to tire again.

Luna nodded once, acknowledging that Usagi was in no mood or state for such a conversation.

The seconds ticked by, and Luna was just dozing off when Usagi muttered.

"Mum hates me."

"Your mother doesn't hate you," Luna said.

"She does. You should have seen her. She said... that she didn't know who I was anymore."

"Usagi," Luna started. "You have to remember, you've come a long way these last few weeks. You're growing up - you're maturing. And it probably scares your mother. It's like she's watching you grow up before her very eyes and she's just worried you'll -"

"I'll?" Usagi prompted.

"You won't be you anymore."

"Isn't that the point?" Usagi snorted into her arm.

"No. Everyone loves you the way you are Usagi, you have to believe that." Hearing another snort of disbelief, Luna opened her mouth, ready to continue.

"It's not even about that," came the agitated reply. "She's right though. _I_ don't know who I am anymore. I lie to my parents, I confess every minute detail of my life to a complete stranger, I order my friends around... It's not for the best Luna, I'm not changing for the best."

"You most certainly are" Luna said fiercely, standing up with her hackles showing. "Every aspect of your life has changed. You are no longer a cry baby, but rather a brave and strong warrior; you longer mope around hoping to buy the latest manga, instead organising Senshi meetings or improving your fitness; you –"

"Okay, okay I get it. I don't suck anymore. But this is about mum."

"Usagi," Luna softened again. "I really think she's just trying to get her head around the new you. She'll come around, you'll see."

"Whatever." Usagi sighed, not in the mood for further conversation.

XoXoX

Usagi and Luna were both asleep when a large figure appeared at the window. Looking down on the dozing pair, he chuckled, the light sound carrying on the breeze loudly enough for Luna to hear. Blinking as she awoke, Luna lifted her head sleepily to see a tall man standing before the bed, watching them with amused eyes.

"MREOW!" Luna lunged at the man, razor sharp claws at the ready, screeching as cat-like as she could; hoping it would be enough to wake the exhausted Usagi.

"Ahh! Get off me you crazy cat!" he yelled. "I saved your life once remember? I saved you from nearly being run over by a car!" The man continued to struggle with an impressive strength as Luna clawed at every inch of exposed skin she could. After being knocked to the floor, Luna lunged for his ankles, but the man jumped back just in time and hissed in a loud voice.

"Odango! Call off your stupid cat, it's trying to kill me!"

"Wha...what's going...ACK! Mamoru?!" Usagi dived for her blankets and pulled them up to her chest.

"Get out of my room!" she whispered in as loud a voice as she dared. "Do you know what my family would think?!"

"Your cat, Odango!" Mamoru growled again.

"Luna, get off him, it's Tuxedo Kamen," she snapped to the furious feline. Luna paused mid swipe and her eyes shot as wide as they could go.

"You!" she howled, lunging again for another attack.

"Luna, no!" Usagi tried to get out of bed quickly, but only managed to fall to the floor.

"**Usagi**!" Mamoru and Luna cried in alarm at the same time, before quickly shooting a glare at the other and running to the girl on the floor. Mamoru out reached Luna by his long strides and was gripping Usagi's upper arms in seconds.

"Get off me!" she snapped, wrestling within his grip. Mamoru let go immediately and Usagi fell back onto the floor in a heap.

"What are you _doing here_?" she hissed, avoiding his eyes.

Remembering his original intentions, Mamoru pulled out the bouquet of roses he'd arranged previously from his sub space pocket. Holding them out and feeling like an idiot just standing there, Mamoru cleared his throat, but Usagi did not look up.

"I'm sorry," he said. That made her look up.

"You're sorry?" she hissed. "Sorry for what?"

"I'm sorry things turned out the way they did, Usa. I'm sorry. For everything."

"Get out," she growled.

"What?"

"I said get out!" Usagi was breathing heavily on the floor, and Mamoru wasn't sure if she was having an attack of some kind.

"GET OUT!" she shrieked when he made no movement. Mamoru shot a glance at the cat, who narrowed her eyes at him, and took off for the window.

It was only once he was safely out of the house, and halfway down the street that he remembered he was still holding the flowers, but that's not what made him stop.

"Did that cat talk?"

XoXoX

Motoki was just finishing loading up the dishwasher when he spied Mamoru trailing through the door.

"Hey buddy, how'd it go?" he asked cheerfully.

"She threw me out," came the dejected reply as his friend slumped into a stool. Yes, slumped. This was so not Mamoru. Wait, what?

"She threw you out from where?" Motoki asked, puzzled.

"From her house!" Mamoru said as if it was obvious.

"Why did you go to her house? Didn't you meet her after school?"

"I knew she was ill again so I thought the flowers would cheer her up," Mamoru lied smoothly.

Motoki was suspicious. Checking his watch and narrowing his eyes, he waved a dirty fork threateningly at his friends face, asking, "How did you know she was sick again? The girls are only just coming out of school now."

"I didn't run into her this morning, so I assumed she was at home again. You know how it is."

"And you didn't think of calling one of her friends first? Since you two have been so chummy lately?"

"Motoki what _are_ you talking about? Odango and I were just talking. Before I had to go and ruin it all. Arg!" Frustrated, Mamoru fell forward and banged his head on the countertop. Whilst this was new behaviour for his friend, Motoki wasn't sure how the rest of the customers would take it, so in between repeating headbangs, Motoki slid his bunched up cleaning rag between Mamoru's head and the counter to muffle the thumping sounds.

Sweatdropping at the looks they were attracted, Motoki waved to a woman with a pram who stalked past. She gave him the finger and kept going.

"Right. That's enough Mamoru. Tell me exactly what happened. And don't leave _anything _out," he ordered.

Sighing, Mamoru muttered, "I'd really rather not."

But Motoki wasn't having any of it. Grabbing a fistful of Mamoru's hair, he yanked his friend up with surprising strength and repeated himself. "Tell me what happened."

Mamoru, scared by his friend's odd behaviour, quickly retold the tale, skipping bits such as Luna the talking cat and producing roses out of thin air.

"You climbed her tree... And entered through her window... You woke her up... And you offered her roses? MAMORU ARE YOU AN IDIOT?!" Motoki yelled, appalled. "You don't make up with a girl like that! Now she'll never forgive you! What if she'd been getting dressed, or not home yet? Would you have waited in her room all day? You _idiot_!" Motoki repeated, getting more stressed out by the minute. "This is more stressful than watching that Mr. Bean movie! With that English moron!"

"It is quite frustrating," agreed Mamoru, before remembering he was being insulted. "Hey! How was I to know? I, like the rest of the male population, don't have your Female-Knowledge, Motoki. Don't blame me for something I don't know!"

"Just because I have a sister, and a girlfriend, and I'm good-looking enough to have girls fawn over me constantly does _not_ mean I have knowledge!"

"But you said before –"

"I said nothing"

"But -"

"No buts. Now do you want to hear what I have to say or not? Do you want my advice, or do you not? Do you want -"

"Alright, alright, I'll shut up."

"Right." Motoki grinned, suddenly his usual, happy self again.

'_That guy's more bipolar than Odango,_' Mamoru thought.

"Ok, so she'll be wanting some space," said Motoki. "Girls love their space. Can't get enough of it. They're as crazy about personal space as they are about boys. So give her plenty of space. Then, little by little, give her gifts here and there, or a note every so often, such as 'Roses are red, Violets are blue, Spaghetti is yum, with Odangos too' or something along the lines of that. Now, - hey! Hey where are you going Mamoru? Mamoru-san!?"

"You're crazy," Mamoru muttered as he left the arcade. Shaking his head, he wondered why his friend had spontaneous episodes of total insanity. It was unnerving.

XoXoXoX

Usagi skipped to school. She was happy, because it was her first day back at school in what seemed like years. In actuality, it was only a week and a half.

"Good morning sunshine! Good morning singing birds! Good morning pedestrians of Juuban alike! Good morning world! What a beautiful, beautiful day, ne?" she sang to anyone who would listen. Nothing could bring down Usagi's high. She was in a good mood, and she was going to keep it that way, dammit!

"Good morning lovely fruit shop that I've never set foot in before!" She continued as she skipped past. "Good morning corner that..." Slowing down to a near-snail-like speed, she braced herself and turned the corner. After several unsure steps on the new street, Usagi opened one eye and peeked through. '_No Mamoru!_' She thought happily. '_I expected to even run into him on my new route!_' Chiding herself for dwelling unnecessarily on negative thoughts, Usagi continued her way to school. Not only had the new route to school been scenic, but without the usual crash-included time that the daily Mamoru-run ins had caused, Usagi arrived first to the classroom again.

Smiling as she glided into the room, her face instantly soured when she spotted a large bouquet of roses sitting innocently on the desk. Scowling, she stomped over to the roses and plucked out the card resting in between them. Throwing the contents a quick glance, she crumpled both the envelope and card in her fist and lobbed them at the bin, not even caring if they went in. Hearing voices rising in volume as they neared the classroom, Usagi snatched up the bouquet and placed it on Naru's desk instead, before diving into her seat and slumping in it agitatedly.

"Hey there girl, I'm glad to see you're feeling better," Makoto winked as she walked in. Ami followed Makoto in and smiled.

"You all had us worried there for a while, Usagi. We thought you'd lost too much –" Ami looked around before finishing in a quieter voice, "blood".

Usagi laughed, only half faking it, and shifted in her seat.

"Well I missed you too" she smiled. "I would have called but..."

"Yeah, yeah, Luna. We got it!" Makoto laughed as she sat in Umino's seat in front of Usagi and turned around. They all laughed as they remembered Luna going off her head at Usagi for using the communicator as a phone.

Ami took her seat beside Usagi. "Uh oh," Makoto said, spotting the roses on Naru's desk. "They're not from who I think they're from are they?"

Usagi bristled. "I don't know what you're talking about."

Ami leaned over, lowering her voice. "Actually, he's been leaving them everywhere lately. Places you would go, or frequent often. It was only when Rei told him you still were at home that he stopped."

"This," Usagi gestured to her right, "is stopping? How many was he leaving?! A hundred a day?" Slumping in her seat, she snapped, "He's such a jerk."

"Usagi," began Makoto before she was drowned out by a loud squealing.

"Oh my god! Would you look at that? Somebody's gone and left me roses!"

Usagi straightened up, beaming at her friend as Naru ran up to her desk, with Umino wandering behind.

"Did ya see who left them here?" Naru asked Ami, Usagi and Makoto. When all three shook their heads, Naru's eyes widened.

"Hey Usagi! You're back! We missed you around here the last two weeks, haha! How're you feeling?"

"I'm better now, thanks Naru," Usagi smiled.

The rest of the day passed by fairly uneventfully, ending with the girls all heading to the arcade. Meeting up with Minako on the way, who cheered at the sight of her fellow blond, the four of them ventured into the arcade, suspense weighing down on them like humid weather as they marched in. Would Mamoru be there?

Sighing in relief after a quick glance at the counter proved that he was not there, Usagi let herself relax and have fun with her friends. It was only when Rei came in whining about Yuichiro that Usagi finally forgot her troubles and started to enjoy herself.

"Usagi, may I talk with you for a moment?" a deep voice asked. Head snapping up, Usagi gulped as the embarrassment and shame of their fight that night came rushing back to her.

"No. You may not," she snapped.

She knew she was being childish, but she folded her arms anyway and looked the opposite way. She could hear Rei muttering something darkly to the man and a moment later he was gone. Sighing, Usagi unfolded her arms and looked back at her friends.

"Are you ever going to tell us what happened between you and Mamoru-san?" Rei asked.

Usagi shook her head sadly as more memories rushed back.

"Were you disappointed when you found out it was him?" Minako asked gently.

Usagi began to nod her head, but halfway through changed it to a shake instead. The girls all leaned back in their seats. So Usagi had _liked_ that it was Mamoru? Well...

"Please Usagi. Please tell us what's wrong," Ami said quietly. "We don't really understand why you reacted that strongly."

"Did he hurt you?" Makoto suddenly thundered.

Again, Usagi began to shake her head, but turned it into a nod halfway.

"He did?"

"He what?"

"It's not like that you guys," Usagi said sadly, tracing imaginary patterns on the table with her finger. "I was the one who made him hurt me. It was my fault."

"Like hell it was!" Rei sniffed as she threw a dirty look at his back, from where he sat by himself at the counter, sipping his coffee.

"No," Usagi mumbled. "It was my fault. I've got no one to blame but myself."

"For god's sake, Usagi. Just tell us!" Ami suddenly snapped. When everyone looked taken aback by her abruptness, she shrugged. "Well we all want to know don't we?"

Eyes still wide and staring at Ami, Minako reached across the table and trapped Usagi's hand in her own.

"Usa, we're you're friends aren't we? There's no secrets. No friends in pain. Just trust, loyalty and revenge." The last point ruined what had otherwise been a very sensitive and caring speech.

Usagi stared at her trapped hand for several seconds before meeting the gazes of her friends. Each set of eyes held concern, love and support – Usagi knew she had to tell them.

It was hard at first, recalling what seemed like so long ago, but soon Usagi gained her momentum, and told her Senshi everything. There were several gasps and sniggers, frowns and smiles, but they never interrupted.

"And then, when I destransformed, and saw Mamoru standing there, I felt like _such a baka!_" Usagi finished, thumping her fist on the table for emphasis, teary eyes and all.

All was silent, before Rei started laughing hysterically. Usagi's tears disappeared, and were replaced by an angry scowl.

"You think it's funny Rei?" she asked.

"My god Odango! You have to be the silliest girl on the planet!" she cackled. The others were beginning to shoot her dirty looks too. "How can you not see he was trying to make it up to you? He was trying to apologise in his civilian identity!" Rei was overcome with laughter and could not continue.

"I suppose..." Ami began, looking uncertainly at Usagi, Minako and Makoto. "It sort of makes sense... I mean," She raised her voice as Usagi opened her mouth to protest and Makoto shot her a look, "if you look at it from Mamoru's point of view, he finds out that the girl he teases is no less than Sailor Moon" she shot an apologetic look at her friend. "And so, knowing you wouldn't believe he was sincere if you found out who he was right away, he tried to patch things up with you as Mamoru. He was trying to do the right thing."

"That's bull," fumed Usagi.

"No, no it makes sense now, I see!" Makoto suddenly smiled. "Oh Usa! It's so cute! He wanted you two to be friends without the whole mess of superhero business, so he patched things up with you here! Aww!"

"Makoto!" Usagi cried as one of her only remaining allies deflected.

"No Usagi, don't you see? You're the girl he was talking about! That night in the docks! He was talking about _you_! You're the one he's in love with."

"I don't believe you," Usagi retorted, as she tried to get out of the booth. "Makoto, please move." But Makoto shot a panicked glance at the rest of the girls, who stopped smiling and shook their heads. Usagi couldn't leave now! Now when they were just uncovering the facts! They were on the brink of an epiphany here!

"Sorry girlie," she smiled grimly, refusing to move.

Huffing as she plonked herself back on the red vinyl booth chair, Usagi flung her arms out at her friends. "Well?"

"Usagi. He really means it. He really is trying to be friends with you." Minako leaned across the table again. Lowering her voice she added, "And at least this way, you know he cared about you long before he found out you were Sailor Moon."

"He did not!" shrieked Usagi. "He told me on the night! And that isn't even confessing anything! It was like telling me about some other girl!"

"Usagi," Rei said in her most serious voice, causing the entire group to look at her. "He means it. And you took this completely the wrong way. Yes, it must have been humiliating and yes, you have every right to feel betrayed. But he's been trying to make it up to you ever since he found out. He's trying to do the right thing here, why don't you just let him?"

"Reiiiii," whined Usagi. Rei raised her eyebrows but said nothing.

"Fine." Usagi sighed in defeat. "I'll talk to him!"

"Great!" Minako chirped as she shoved Rei out of the seat.

"What? Where are we going?" Usagi asked as one by one her friends stood up and got out of the booth.

"_We're_ going to the temple. _You're_ staying here" Minako winked.

"What? Why am I –"

"Hey Usagi." Mamoru's voice was suddenly very close by.

"Eep!" Usagi jumped, putting a hand over her heart. "You scared me, jerk!"

He chuckled and nodded his head in appreciation at Rei who stood beside him, looking smug before turning and leaving with the rest of the girls. Usagi glared at them and made mimes of killing them, which they pretended not to notice as they smiled and gave her many thumbs up. Folding himself into the booth opposite Usagi, he looked her straight in the eyes.

"Usagi, I have been thinking for days what I could do to make it up to you. To show you that I meant it. I'm so sorry that you found out the way you did. I know you probably think I'm some total baka now, for toying with your feelings, and not telling you who I was. But at the time, I believed it was for the best. I wanted to be friends with you. And then suddenly an opportunity presented itself! There you were, standing right in front of me, babbling about how much of a snob I was to you, and I thought 'Here it is. This is the opportunity!'" He looked seriously into her eyes, and she felt herself drowning in their depths slowly, surely.

"What do I have to do to show you I meant every word?"

Usagi said nothing for several moments, instead just staring at him in indecision. Would she forgive him? Or would she push him away, now that he'd done his dash?

Sighing, she ducked her head and broke the eye contact. Reaching for her bag, she stood up and got out of the booth.

"Prove it," she said, before turning on her heel and stalking out of the arcade.

* * *

_Reviewing is a lovely thing, is it not?_


	7. Media

Arg! How frustrating it was to not be able to upload this chapter for a whole day! Silly error . Final chapter guys!

Disclaimer: :\ SM not mine.

* * *

Usagi trudged home after another long day at school. She was agitated, and it showed. Her friends; who'd been pestering her for days on end had finally let up and left her alone. Alone to wallow in her misery and humiliation.

She'd told Mamoru exactly what he needed to do if he was going to win her trust. All he had to do was prove it. And he'd shown no sign over the past two weeks of doing so.

So that was it. Whatever relationship they had been building up over the past month and a half had wrecked. It was a broken, pathetic little thing, their remaining link – what connected Tuxedo Kamen to Sailor Moon. She'd felt it jerk and pull a couple of times since she'd discovered Tuxedo Kamen's identity, but now? Nothing. It was withering away, shrivelling up and dying.

Not that she cared. She'd known his heart wasn't really in it. Stupid males. Always toying with girls and their feelings.

Usagi kicked an empty can lying innocently on the footpath. Walking a few steps after it, she kicked it again. In a strange way, it felt therapeutic to her, and she continued her journey home with the can. But as Usagi rounded the corner, she felt herself collide with a hard body, and they both tumbled to the ground.

Usagi tried desperately to blink back the stars blinding her and gasped.

"I'm so sorry! I wasn't looking, I was just –" glancing up quickly at her victim, she stopped abruptly and dusted off her skirt.

"I'm sorry Mamoru-san, I wasn't paying attention to where I was going." She apologised curtly as she gathered her bag and stood up again, ignoring his chuckles.

"Of course not, Odango," he laughed, remaining on the ground. "Since when have you ever looked where you were going?"

Usagi raised an eyebrow. Mamoru realised she was not impressed and sighed, rolling his eyes. _One step forward, two steps back_.

"I was just kidding, Usa. Now, help me up?"

Usgai stared at his offered hand as if it were an alien from the Sailor V game.

"C'mon!" he said good naturedly, waving his hand in emphasis. When he realised she was just going to stand there, he raised both hands above his shoulders. "No worries, I've got this one."

"Grow up," Usagi muttered bitterly as she turned from him and walked past. Because the truth was; she had.

Mamoru sat bemused on the pavement oblivious to the strange looks he was attracting. Calling after her, he shouted to her back, "Aw! Come on Oda- Usagi! I was just kidding!"

XoXoXoX

She knew she was being stupid, leaving him hanging on a thread, but she just wasn't ready to forgive him yet. She'd had too much of his fun and games and she didn't want to play anymore. Slamming the front door shut, Usagi stomped her way up the stairs and into her room before flinging herself on the mattress.

"Luna my life is so complicated right now."

No reply.

"Luna?" When her cat gave no answer, Usagi shrugged and pulled out Rei's textbooks. '_Might as well get my homework done' _she thought. Opening the mathematic textbook and her exercise book, Usagi spread out on the bed and began solving the first equation.

"Just where did you get those?" said an icy voice as Rei – no, Sailor Mars – climbed through her window. Usagi jumped and was sitting up in a second.

"Rei?" she whispered in disbelief.

"Knew you were behind my missing books Odango-brain!" she said, but with an affectionate undertone.

"Only because you took mine in the first place, fire breath!" Usagi grinned back, before turning back to the books in question.

"Sharing is caring," her friend shrugged as she powered down. Rei grabbed a cushion off Usagi's bed and sat on the floor with it.

Usagi made no attempt at conversation, instead focusing on her work for several minutes. Rei stared at her as she tried to comprehend what was happening.

"So," she began conversationally. When her blond friend looked at her expectantly, she trailed off and looked around the room. Usagi turned back to her maths.

Rei suddenly turned back. "Ok, look. I've had enough, okay?"

Blinking at her workbook, Usagi croaked, "Oh?"

"Yeah. _Oh_. You look so completely depressed Usagi. And we're getting worried." The repetition of those words struck a chord with Usagi and she blinked back sudden hot tears. "You know, whatever fight you think you and Mamoru are having has been blown way out of proportion. You just need to get over it, okay Usagi?"

A sole tear splashed on her book, smudging the ink in her working out, before Usagi swiped at her face discreetly to remove the others.

"He didn't mean to upset you, all right? He just... He realised he was a jerk. And he tried to fix that. Hey are you even listening to me?" Rei grabbed the cushion and flung it at the side of Usagi's head. It bounced off lightly and landed on the floor. Usagi craned her head ever so slowly until she was looking at Rei with red-rimmed eyes. Rei did a double take.

"How would you know?" Usagi whispered slowly, angrily. "You have no idea what it feels like right now. He purposely lied to me." When Rei opened her mouth, Usagi continued over her. "I know I always seem so forgiving. But there's only so much I can take before I have to wonder why I bother. I don't _like_ being trampled over all the time. And then when people realise that they're sorry, they're just gladHappy-Go-Lucky Usagi will say 'no problem!' and let it go. Well no. No more, Rei-chan. No more."

"What are you saying?" Rei asked, a little scared at the mature look glinting in the teary eyes of her friend.

"I'm saying that I'm done being so lenient. I want proof that someone is genuinely sorry when they've hurt me. And if they can't show me any, then I don't want to hear it."

"That's completely - "

"It's completely understandable Rei. If you don't agree with me, then too bad. You won't make me change my mind."

"I wasn't going to." Rei said sadly, glancing down at her tightly clasped hands in her lap. "I was going to say... that _I'm_ sorry."

Usagi rubbed the back of her wrist across her eyes, wiping them yet again. "What?" she asked.

"I'm sorry, Usagi-chan! We've always had a come-and-go kind of relationship, because you used to rile me up so much! But now I can see you're a mature person. A different person. The kind I always wished you would be. But you've grown on me, as my friend. And now I feel like you're my sister... however you may come. I'm just sorry I never realised it until now."

Usagi blinked as Rei stared at her fiercely, unyieldingly. Rei had never been one to express her feelings so openly before, so it was pretty surprising she'd just opened up completely – to Usagi no less! Usagi got off the bed and crawled on the floor over to where her friend sat.

"Rei?" she asked tentatively. Her friend jerked her head. "I always thought you hated me; in some small way. That you were disappointed in me. I always felt like I could never be good enough for you. Tell me I was wrong."

Hot tears sprung quickly to Rei's eyes and she desperately tried to blink them back. "Usa," she managed to choke out. "Usagi. I could _never_ hate you. Not in all my life! I was just... I don't know!" She threw her hands up in the air desperately. "You could say I was jealous I guess. I was jealous of you. You live life to the fullest, and I've never done that. I've never had that. And I'm sorry. My behaviour to you was appalling. I am so, so sorry." Hanging her head in shame, the priestess avoided her friend's eyes, not wanting to see the disappointment and accusation in them.

"Rei," Usagi said softly. "Rei, look at me." Rei looked up shyly. "Rei, I forgive you," she said simply.

"But you just said -" started Rei meekly before being cut off by a gentle Usagi.

"I know what I said." She smiled. "But I know you mean it. You're one of a kind Rei-chan. You believe in tough love and it works for you."

Rei sniffled and leaned forward. "Really? You're not mad? Even though I was a total monster to you sometimes?"

Usagi sat back on her heels and laughed long and loud. "Of course not! You're my hot-tempered Senshi of fire! I'd be worried if you weren't always edgy!"

Rei was suddenly overwhelmed with gratitude and awe at her friend's easy forgiveness, despite what she had just said. Lunging forward, she hugged her blond friend fiercely around the neck and whispered, "I swear I will never hurt you again, Usagi! Ever!"

Usagi continued to laugh shakily through her tears and hugged her friend back just as tightly. When they released, Usagi nodded to her books smiling. "So I take it you'll want them back now hey?"

Rei waved a hand dismissively. "Are you joking? Then I'd have to lug them all the way home, and lug yours all the way back here!"

The blond gasped. "So you do have them!" She pointed an accusing finger at her friend. Rei and Usagi laughed again, both feeling immensely relieved that they'd broken down every barrier in their friendship.

**Beep beep beep beep beep beep beep beep**. Usagi and Rei's communicators both began to beep in sync with one another. The girls were out the window in no time flat.

XoXoXoX

"Well done, Sailor Moon!" Sailor Mars grinned as she threw her arm around her leader's neck in a chummy gesture. "That has to be a new record for the fastest youma-destroying fight we've had yet. Isn't that right, Sailor Mercury?"

Sailor Mercury was too preoccupied with her computer to pay attention to the conversation at hand. "Hmm? Oh yes, yes well done, Sailor Moon. I wonder, perhaps if you could just take a few steps away from the ice cream truck? I have a feeling Mars' fire melted the frozen dairy in there."

The other Senshi grinned at each other. "So would we get to _eat_ the melted frozen dairy in there?" Sailor Jupiter winked at Sailor Venus.

"Yum!" cried Sailor Venus enthusiastically and they all laughed. Unfortunately, before anymore could be said, Sailor Venus tripped over Sailor Jupiter's outstretched leg and sprawled to the ground. As Sailor Moon continued to laugh with her friends, she felt a presence behind her and whirled around.

"Tuxedo Kamen," she blurted in shock. He removed his hat and bowed to her slightly.

"Looks like you barely need me anymore Sailor Moon. Well done on that youma."

"Mmm." Sailor Moon said through tight lips. The other Senshi stopped laughing and the atmosphere was very tense all of a sudden.

"May I - can we - could I talk to you please, Sailor Moon?" Tuxedo Kamen asked her, dreading rejection.

Sailor Moon pursed her lips and glanced behind her. Sailor Mars and Sailor Venus were both nodding to her seriously, whilst Sailor Jupiter stood stock still and glaring at the man behind her. Turning back to the awaiting superhero she sighed.

"Fine. But only because you stuttered."

Tuxedo Kamen offered her a gloved hand to take but she refused.

"We're not going too far away. I want to be able to see my Senshi at all times please."

Tuxedo Kamen nodded and walked several paces away, just enough to ensure the Senshi would not be able to eavesdrop on their conversation.

"Sailor Moon... Usagi. I know you don't trust me anymore," – she snorted at that – "but you have to believe me when I say I want things to work out. I want you, Usagi. I want to spend time with you again. I want to smile with you, and laugh with you, and if possible, to even take you on a date sometime. I really care for you."

Sailor Moon opened her mouth, but he kept going. "I know, I know, you want proof. And so all I can think of is this."

Tuxedo Kamen grabbed Sailor Moon roughly by the shoulders and pulled her towards him, before crushing her lips with his own. Sailor Moon instantly melted, feeling her knees buckle beneath her, but before she could collapse to the ground, a strong arm snaked its way around her waist and held her in place. Just as she began to kiss back, she remembered _who_ it was that she was kissing and brought her hands up to his chest. Giving him a hard shove back she glared at him with daggers in her eyes.

"What," she gasped slightly out of breath, utterly enraged, "did... you... think... you... were... doing!?"

"I was proving how I feel about you, Odango!" Tuxedo Kamen shouted at her angrily.

"YOU JUST _STOLE_ MY FIRST KISS YOU **JERK**! YOU TOOK THAT AWAY FROM ME!" Sailor Moon screamed, half hysterical. "YOU DIDN'T THINK DID YOU? I WAS SAVING THAT AND YOU TOTALLY BLEW IT!" Sailor Moon began to break down, tears streaming down her face.

Mamoru's heart broke. He hadn't thought that through at all. In fact, he'd just assumed...

"Why Mamoru? Why?" Sailor Moon cried openly in front of him, not even bothering with his ego's name.

"Usagi... I..." Stepping forward in an attempt to console her, she shrieked at him again and he found himself face to face with a furious Sailor Mercury.

"Sailor Mercury, I was just -"

"Tuxedo Kamen I don't think you understand the ramifications here. What you have done - what you have _committed_ today is completely against the male code. You cannot, _you cannot_," she stressed, "give a kiss without verbal consent from the girl first - and especially not a first kiss! It is unheard of!"

They both glanced at Sailor Moon, who was crying into the comforting arms of Sailor Mars of all people!

"You were very much mistaken if you thought this was your way to repair your situation," she said gravely. "I think it best if you just leave Usagi-chan alone from now on. She is understandably quite distraught right now."

Tuxedo Kamen barely nodded as his brain numbed his body for him and turned to walk away. Not talk to Usagi? But… But… But he'd just discovered how important she was to him! He couldn't lose her now! He loved her.

_Do you really love her?_ a doubtful voice in his head asked. "Yes," he whispered to himself.

_Then you'll try every possible way to fix this. _

And with one last swirl of his cape, he set off into the darkening streets of Tokyo. He knew what he had to do now.

XoXoXoXo

"Shhh, it's okay Usagi. It's okay. You're safe now. You're home," Rei soothed as she stroked Usagi's hair. Usagi was sprawled across her bed and crying into her pillow as her friends all surrounded her, looking on in worry. But despite her friends' attempts at consoling her, Usagi could not stop crying.

"He.... he... he...." was all she'd managed to get out before bursting into more tears again. Makoto was glowering at a blank wall as she pictured the smug jerk who'd hurt her friend, Ami was bringing out boxes of tissues and headache tablets from her subspace pocket, and Minako was rearranging Usagi's extensive stuffed rabbits collection. Rei just sat on the bed with Usagi.

"Usagi shhh. There there. Usagi it's ok. We're here for you. Tell us what happened. What did he say before he... What happened?"

Usagi twisted around until her bloodshot eyes were staring right into Rei's.

"He said... He said... he said he cared for me, and he tried to prove it. HE TRIED TO PROVE IT BY KISSING ME? Arg!" Usagi hid her face back into her pillow as the tears started up again. Rei looked around at their friends who all looked helplessly on.

"I don't think he knew, Usagi. I don't think he knew that was your first kiss," Ami murmured.

"I think he was trying to be romantic," added Minako, nodding from where she now sat on the floor.

"No!" Usagi's muffled wail came. "He did it on purpose! He's always out to get me!"

"Usagi! Dinner is ready!" Ikuko called from down the stairs. Five heads snapped up and strained their ears to see if Usagi's mother would be coming up, but after several beats of nothing, the group exhaled in relief as one. Makoto grimaced at Usagi.

"Sorry, Usa. We should probably get going. Don't want to get you in trouble now, do we?"

Usagi sighed and waved them towards the windows. "Go, go. I'll be fine. I promise."

"You sure?" Rei asked worriedly. "Want one of us to come back after dinner?"

Usagi sniffled and blew her nose. "No," she attempted to smile. "I'll be fine. Now go! Give me a minute to collect myself before I go downstairs! You know what Shingo'll be like."

Mutual nods and murmured agreements were made as one by one the girls jumped out of the window and onto the tree branch. Minako, who was last to leave, blew her blond twin an air kiss before joining the others outside. Sighing, Usagi got up and made her way to the bathroom.

One look at her reflection showed she was not ready to go downstairs – her mother would get all antsy again, her father would ask too many questions, Shingo would laugh at her... Splashing water on her face several times, Usagi dried her face with the hand towel and blinked. Pinching her cheeks to regain her colour and wiping her eyes one last time, she attempted a cheery smile at her reflection, but it came out looking forced and pained. _Okay then,_ she thought. _Just avoid smiling._

Making her way down the stairs and into the dining room, she was greeted by her family and she played her part as best as she could.

Throughout dinner however, the act began to wear off and Usagi was growing bitter again. Pushing her food around on her plate, she looked up when she felt herself being addressed.

"Are you not eating again, Usagi?" Kenji asked sternly, eyes trained on her face.

"Just feeling a little sick," she mumbled, clutching her stomach for good measure. Ikuko leaned across the table and placed her hand on Usagi's.

"Why don't you take a tablet and have a rest then hmm? I'll save your dinner for you when you come back down."

Usagi nodded mutely, glad she had a reason to leave and quickly excused herself. When she was halfway up the stairs, she could have sworn her mother say, "It's just teenage girl stuff," to her father, but she shrugged it off, not caring, and continued to her room.

Luna was waiting for her.

"Usagi," she began with sympathetic eyes as she watched her ward sink onto the bed.

"Uh uh," Usagi sighed tiredly. "Let me try to forget about it for just a moment. Please Luna."

Luna fell silent and hopped up on the bed to lay beside the sprawled out Usagi. Distantly they could hear the phone ring downstairs. A few seconds later, Ikuko called up.

"Usagi! Telephone for you! It's Minako and she says it's really important."

Usagi didn't move an inch. Two minutes went by and Ikuko could be heard talking into the phone about how Usagi wasn't feeling well, and that she'd call back if she got a chance.

**Beep beep beep beep beep beep beep beep beep beep beep beep beep beep beep beep!**

Usagi groaned as Luna jumped for the communicator on the dresser. Putting her paw on the flashing orange symbol for Venus, she asked urgently

"What is it Minako? Negaverse attack?"

"LUNA YOU HAVE GOT TO PUT USAGI ON!" Minako practically shrieked, her shrill voice bouncing around the room. Usagi covered her ears and moaned.

"I don't really think," began Luna uncertainly before being drowned out as Minako started bellowing

"USAGI! CAN YOU HEAR ME?! OH MY GOD! RUN! YOU HAVE TO RUN! YOU'RE ON TV! THERE'S SOMETHING ABOUT YOU ON TV! YOU _CAN'T_ MISS THIS! USAGI RUN!"

Usagi climbed out of bed and shuffled over to her dresser and picked the communicator up.

"What?" she asked moodily.

Minako rolled her eyes and commenced giggling loudly, making Usagi hold the communicator back at arms' length, wishing it came with volume control.

"USAGI I'M SO SO SO SOOOO SERIOUS! YOU _HAVE_ TO TURN THE TV ON! PUT THE NEWS ON! HURRY!" The tone of her voice changed to urgent and Usagi and Luna found themselves sprinting downstairs and into the lounge room, where Shingo was watching some American show with yellow people. Snatching the remote from his loose hold and ignoring his indignant 'Hey!', Usagi clicked onto the next channel where a Live Feed was being broadcasted... Of Tuxedo Kamen no less! Clicking up the volume several times, Usagi and Luna caught what was the middle of a press conference in a well-lit suburban street.

"So are you, Tuxedo Kamen, confessing that you and Sailor Moon have an intimate relationship together?" a reported asked for confirmation. Usagi's eyes zoomed in on the lips that were half hidden behind the sea of microphones.

"I would very much like to say so, yes," he said confidently, smiling winningly at the camera.

"But only if she'll have me still," he added in a different tone, changing his facial expression to a very serious one.

"Oh?" another reported asked, pushing the microphone even closer. "And what do you mean by that?"

Tuxedo Kamen glanced around at his eager reporters and sighed before answering.

"If you could believe how much one guy could stuff things up with the girl he loves, then you're looking at him. I lied and broke the trust of someone I care about – and I don't know if she's willing to forgive me."

The microphones lowered a bit in shock before climbing back up to his face, causing him to push them back again.

"What do you mean you lied to her?" one female reporter asked bewildered.

"Who would lie to Sailor Moon, the Champion of Justice?" another asked heatedly.

"I didn't mean to, please believe me on that," said Tuxedo Kamen. "But I felt terrible about the way some things played out for her, and I wanted to fix things without looking like the bad guy. Like I always do to her."

"So what are you saying here, Tuxedo Kamen-sama?" a male reported asked eagerly.

"If Sailor Moon is watching this tonight... I want to make a statement. I want to tell the world how I feel about her! But I want her to hear it from me first."

As the majority of the reporters and journalist's were females, a very loud 'aww!' was made. The males working the cameras or holding aloft the microphones just rolled their eyes at the estrogen-rush the interview had just had and looked at each other awkwardly. Was this going to turn into an Oprah or something?

"What do you want to say? What do you want to say to her?!" they all asked eagerly, shoving the microphones back in his face. Tuxedo Kamen blinked slowly at them before looking directly at the camera; his dazzling eyes searing right into Usagi's soul even through the television screen. A grin tugged at the corner of his lips and he took a big breath before opening his mouth.

"What I really want to say; is that Sailor Moon, I love you. I love you Sailor Moon. And if you'll hear an old jerk out one more time, I promise I'll show you I mean it."

This time, the male reporters were wrestled out of the way as the girls all fought to get up close to the dashing superhero.

"That's so romantic!"

"That is so beautiful!"

"I wish my boyfriend would say things like that!"

"Are you getting this, Asanuma?"

"Where are you going to tell her?"

"Are you going to meet her tonight?"

The questions all came in too fast for Tuxedo Kamen to catch properly, so he held his hands aloft and the TV fell silent. Looking around at all his new sudden fans, he grinned and gazed back at the camera.

"Sailor Moon. If you're watching this, which I sincerely hope you are, I want you to meet me. Tonight. You know where, you know the place."

Usagi gaped at the screen as her grip loosened on the remote control. Shingo took this as his chance and seized the remote, flipping it back to his show. It was on an ad commercial.

"Well you certainly recovered," he scowled as he glanced up and down at her. Usagi turned slowly, half in a daze.

"Huh?"

Shingo looked at her strangely.

"What were you watching that for anyway? It's just a load of crap. Probably a publicity stunt – you know, to up the sales in their merchandise or whatever."

"Shingo!" Usagi exclaimed in shock. Recovering however, she just continued without missing a beat. "It's Sailor Moon! Only the coolest superhero in the world! Duh! Why _wouldn't_ you watch that?"

"That was very romantic what he just did there."

Usagi and Shingo spun around to see their mother leaning on the kitchen doorframe with her arms folded. Seeing the looks on her children's faces, she said, "Admitting his feelings for a girl in front of the whole city, and quite possibly the nation if the tabloids exploit it too! Whatever he's sorry about, he certainly went about it the right way. There's no doubt now that Sailor Moon should forgive him!" Nodding in a satisfied fashion, Ikuko wandered back into the kitchen humming a Celine Dione song, leaving the two teenagers to blink in her wake. The ad finished and a fat, bald, yellow man appeared on the screen, eating a doughnut.

"Hey, move it, fatso!" Shingo said as he peered exaggeratedly around his sister. Usagi quickly stepped out of the way and ran for her room.

"Feeling sick!" she shouted over her shoulder. "Don't disturb me!"

"Wasn't going to," drawled a voice from the lounge room.

Once in her room, Usagi slammed the door shut and locked it, heaving against the wood from the exertion.

"You saw that, right?" she asked with wild eyes, and Luna nodded.

"Well what do I do!?" she panicked.

"You go meet him" Luna replied simply.

"What? And get busted by mum and dad? No thanks!"

"Usagi, it's very clear his confession had an impact on you. And even if you don't feel the same way, you still have to meet up with him anyway. You owe him that at least. The man _did_ just open his heart in front of half of Tokyo."

"But! But! But!" Usagi gasped, her body seizing up with fear. She couldn't see him now! She was too scared. She didn't want to do it. Sure a youma she could face now, but Mamoru Chiba? Not after he just admitted he loved her. On live TV no less!

Luna nodded her head to the window and Usagi's resolve hardened. She would do this dammit. She was Sailor Moon, Champion of Justice! And on behalf of the moon... she would fight for love, and all that that entailed!

"I'm going," she said determinedly to Luna, who's eyes seemed to smile at her.

"Go!" she urged. Usagi needed no telling twice. Jumping out the window and onto the tree branch, Usagi hung upside down by her knees to make sure the window was clear of all family members before up righting herself and dropping to the ground. Running onto the now dark street, she dashed into the nearest large shadow and transformed behind a car. Once the last flash of light disappeared, Sailor Moon was left standing in her place, and she jumped on the roof of the car, high tailing it to the nearest fire escape and onto the roof of an apartment complex.

Sailor Moon didn't know if it was her hammering heart that made her run faster, or just the dread of what awaited her, but all too soon, she found herself in the now familiar surrounds of the city's docks. Leaping across the last few roofs, Sailor Moon landed gracefully on the very same one she had talked to Tuxedo Kamen on, on that fateful night.

"I didn't think you'd come," an uncertain voice smiled from the darkness. Sailor Moon turned slowly around as Tuxedo Kamen stepped out of a shadow.

"Well, I'm here now." She tried to joke, but it came out as rather flat and almost rude.

"I can see that," he nodded, his midnight blue eyes sparkling in the moon's light.

"It's nice out, isn't it?" he started conversationally, raising an arm to indicate the view before them. Sailor Moon turned to see what he was talking about and caught her breath.

Here they could see hundreds and thousands of tiny, twinkling little lights, winking at them flirtatiously over the water. The high tide lapped below, creating a soothing atmosphere by their gentle whooshing, and somewhere nearby, seagulls could be heard squawking and squabbling amongst themselves.

"I saw you on TV!" Sailor Moon blurted out suddenly. _Oh my god, you idiot!_

"Which I had assumed to be why you were here," Tuxedo Kamen smiled at her as he faced her again. "And?"

"You said you loved me!" Sailor Moon blurted out again.

He nodded.

"But you don't even know me!" she cried. "Not really I mean," she amended.

Chuckling, he reached out and played with the hair from one of her odangos.

"I know enough about you to know that I do."

_What?_ Sailor Moon thought, confused.

"I know that you are a happy, lively, fun-loving, life-enjoying, sing-and-dance-in-the-rain, wholesome young woman," he began. "And I know that you are also the bravest, strongest, toughest warrior I know."

Sailor Moon was beginning to find it hard to breathe the way her heart was pounding so insistently in her ribcage.

"I know that you're afraid of thunderstorms, and I know that you hate carrots. I know that your favourite thing about the arcade is when Motoki makes you his special chocolate milkshake, which has its own recipe just for you. I know that you have a cat named Luna, and Minako, Rei, Makoto and Ami are your best friends. I know that my green blazer annoys the hell out of you, which is why I still wear it, and I know that on days your teacher has relationship problems, the time until I get to see you next is prolonged by a detention. I know that your heart rules your head and that you're always thinking of others before yourself. I know that -"

"Okay! Okay! I get it!" Sailor Moon held up her gloved hands in bewilderment and laughed nervously at him. "Okay, so you know me. But why? Why do you _love _me?"

Tuxedo Kamen stared across the water again as he thought. Sailor Moon gazed at his face, before turning to the water too.

"I love you, Usagi, because you are the light of my life. You illuminate what is otherwise dark, and you warm up my heart like no coffee can."

Sailor Moon giggled at his joke, but he continued. "I think I've always loved you. Or at least had a sense of awareness whenever you were around." He turned desperate eyes to her, as if seeking for her to understand. "When we used to fight, I just wanted to talk to you. I just wanted you to notice me, and to talk to me! So I did the only thing I could think of. Insult you."

"So all this time?"

"All this time. Every snide little comment, every little yank of an odango, every glare and every put down. It was all to get you to notice me."

"Oh Mamoru!" sighed Sailor Moon sadly.

"I know, I know. I was an idiot... Still am. But do you think you could forgive me, and let me make it up to you?" He leaned in closer and Sailor Moon gulped.

"Make it up to me how?" she asked nervously. He chucked lightly again and licked his lips.

"Usagi, I'm trying to ask you for your permission. I'd like to kiss you now please."

Heart hammering, Sailor Moon stood stock still as she allowed Tuxedo Kamen to cup her face in his hands. His warm breath brushed over her lips as her eyes fluttered close and she felt his lips gently meet hers. This time there was no desperation, no rush and no anxiety. Just him and her, alone together. Sailor Moon snaked her arms up to his chest, as his circled her waist and brought her closer to him. She smiled into the kiss and he moaned in response.

Her hands began travelling from where her palms lay pressed flat on his chest to slide up to his neck, before curling her fingers in his hair. Likewise, he untangled one arm from around her waist and brought it back up to the back of her neck, guiding her head to tilt at a better angle for him. As he deepened the kiss, he became aware of the gaping hole in his heart, which he had grown so used to in the many years of being alone, slowly healing. It was pure bliss. He was becoming whole again.

But all too soon, they had to end the kiss or risk suffocating. Breaking apart for air, Sailor Moon and Tuxedo Kamen held their faces inches apart, ragged hot breath mingling and eyelashes close to tangling. A smile made its way onto Sailor Moon's lips.

"Say Mamo-chan, someone once told me I should ask you for help on my homework if I ever needed it... What do you think?"

A smile made its way to Tuxedo Kamen's lips too.

"I think whoever said that was a very, very clever person, Usako. I would be delighted."

Leaning in for another kiss, the couple were oblivious to the bare leg that swung over the ledge of the roof. It was only when a gloved arm made its way over too and an angry voice yelled "Hey!" that they jumped apart and looked over. When an incensed Sailor Mars' head popped up over the low ledge, Sailor Moon and Tuxedo Kamen rushed to help her up. With each grabbing an arm and leg, they pulled her over the top and let her lay panting on the ground.

"You are in such big trouble, missy!" she huffed, pointing a finger on a weak arm at Sailor Moon, who glanced at Tuxedo Kamen in panic.

"Mars? What are you doing here?!"

"I should be asking you the same question. Do you know how far you are from the nearest help? You didn't think to contact one of us first? Just to have standing by? _Do you know how worried I was?_ I didn't know where you were! I didn't know what would happen to you!"

"Is she up there?" Sailor Jupiter's voice carried from very far below. Sailor Moon leaned over the edge to peek at her friends, smiling when she felt Tuxedo Kamen's hands on her waist to keep her steady. Waving enthusiastically, she saw Sailors Venus and Jupiter exchange looks and starts whooping joyfully.

Turning back to her exhausted friend, Sailor Moon blinked.

"How'd you get up here anyway?" she asked curiously.

"I climbed, what else do you think?" her friend snapped.

"But...there's like a ladder right over there...." Sailor Moon pointed a shaky finger to the rusty ladder that was indeed very close to where they stood then.

"AAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAARRRRRGGGG!" yelled a fuming Sailor Mars as she too spotted it. Not a second later, Sailor Jupiter's beaming face popped up.

"You guys!" she said loudly as she climbed the last few steps and jumped over the ledge. Walking over to a stunned Sailor Moon, she nudged her shoulder with her own. "Some warning would have been nice, girl."

Sailor Moon had the decency to blush.

"Are you sure it's okay, Sailor Jupiter?" a very nervous voice called.

"Hurry up and don't be a baby!" whined another.

"Sailor Jupiter? Are you there?" the first called again. Sighing, Sailor Jupiter strode back to the lady and reached a hand down. A second later she was yanking an obviously terrified Sailor Mercury up with her.

"About time!" grumbled Sailor Venus playfully as she joined the group, winking as she jumped over the ladder's last few steps. "I thought I'd fall off that ladder just from boredom Mercury took so long!"

"What are you guys _doing_ here?!" Sailor Moon breathed, half amazed, half disbelieving.

"We'd hardly leave you unchaperoned with a guy, regardless of superhero status," Sailor Venus said as she tossed her hair.

"So we had Mercury track you on her computer!" Sailor Jupiter clapped the terrified Senshi on her back, causing her to stumble forward from the force.

"Sailor Mercury!" Sailor Moon gasped, feigning an appalled and hurt look.

"They... They... They... They forced me to!" she shrieked, suddenly losing her cool.

"I just wanted to let Mercury here know that I was in need of a good target for my powers practice... It's not like Jupiter and I threatened to use our powers on her if she didn't!" Sailor Mars laughed as Sailor Mercury and Sailor Moon paled.

"So this is the place you were telling us about," Sailor Venus said as she bopped her head, taking in the view. "Whoa, check out the scenery guys. Totally wicked!"

Sailor Mars cast a sly look at the dumbfounded couple. "I have a feeling it's not the view they were appreciating!"

Tuxedo Kamen cleared his throat awkwardly and glanced down at Sailor Moon, who was in his arms again. "Can you make them leave? They're a little..."

"Eccentric?" Sailor Mercury supplied.

"Awesome?" Sailor Venus tried.

"Annoying?" Sailor Moon scowled .

"Awkward," Sailor Mars nodded knowingly.

"Scary..." Tuxedo Kamen finished.

"Sorry boy, but as the Senshi team are all about protecting each other's backs -" Sailor Jupiter began, before being elbowed by Sailor Venus.

"We'll leave you two alone for now. But you have ten minutes, all right? Sailor Moon has school in the morning!" Sailor Mars wagged her finger at Tuxedo Kamen.

"We won't be far!" reminded Sailor Mercury. "Just down below if you need us. Close enough to hear her _scream_." She narrowed her eyes dangerously.

.....

.....

.....

"Erm, so ok. Well this is us leaving!" Sailor Venus clapped as she removed her eyes from Sailor Mercury. One by one the Senshi all filed down the ladder again, with Sailor Mercury causing a ruffle again because of her speed.

"You're like a grandma, Mercury!" Sailor Mars exclaimed as she witnessed how slow her friend climbed down, eyes tightly shut.

"JUST GO!" Sailor Moon shouted. Once it was just her and Tuxedo Kamen alone again, she turned to him slowly and began tracing imaginary patterns on his chest. "Now where were we?"

* * *

AAhhhhh! It's finished XD R&R to thank meeeeeeeeeeee. I jokes................Maybe


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